Rising Sun, Shattered Moon
by The Wayward Typhoon
Summary: Kiku Honda and Ruby Rose find themselves on Patch and in San Diego, respectively. Needless to say, mayhem ensues. (eventual Kiku (Japan) x Yang)
1. The Visitor: Part 1

**A Note From My Anonymous Partner: Sorry, not sorry, a crossover like this was bound to happen sometime. Blame him, not me.**

 _Author's Note: Do_ not _blame me. This was her dream, her idea._

 **Was not.**

 _Was too. I remember clear as day: "Hey, I had this dream where Yang Xiao Long and Japan *CENSORED*." Then you thought it'd be_ such a romp _to write a fanfic about it._

 **No, that was** _ **YOUR**_ **dream-**

 _Look, let's not fight in front of the readers._

 **Alright, good idea.**

 _Anyway, yeah. What started off as a weird dream concerning an anime character and a kinda-sorta-but-not-actually anime character soon became… this._

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

The first thing Kiku Honda noticed when he opened his eyes were the trees. Which was a little strange, as he didn't remember ever going to a forest.

What was even stranger was the second thing he noticed: A peculiar wetness on his cheek.

Confused, he looked around. Where was he? He could make out what seemed to be a house some distance away. And there, sitting next to him, was what was definitely a small dog. He smiled, and pet it.

"Hello, doggie…" he whispered, rather uneasily. The dog leaned its head into his hand, whining affectionately. The dog seemed to ease Kiku's confusion, yet still, he had no idea where he was or how he got here.

But this train of thought was cut off when he suddenly heard a voice cutting through the forest.

"Zwei! Here, Zwei!"

The dog suddenly turned its head towards the sound. Kiku looked up. "Who…"

Before he could finish the thought, a blonde young woman entered the clearing. "There you are, boy!" she excitedly said.

The little dog ran over to her, as she kneeled onto the ground to pet him. "Where'd you go, boy? Where have you been?" She scratched behind his ears, and he barked enthusiastically.

Kiku was partially surprised and relieved. He got off the ground. "Excuse me, miss?"

The young woman picked the dog off the ground, and turned her attention to Kiku. "Thanks for finding my dog, sir. He gets awful anxious when he's on his own." She nuzzled the little dog's head. "Don't you, Zwei? Don't you get a little nervous?"

"Y-You're welcome, miss, but can you tell me where I am?" he stuttered. "I think I'm lost."

The young woman looked slightly confused. "You're… You're on Patch, mister."

Kiku looked very confused. "Patch? And… is that close to Fujisawa?"

She tilted her head. "Don't know about that, but it's right off the coast of Vale."

Now he was getting flustered. "Vale? Wh… What about Tokyo? Does Tokyo ring a bell?" Surely, that should be well-known enough for anyone to recognize...

She narrowed her eyes. "Are you sure you didn't hit your head on something?"

"Wh-What on earth… Japan? Asia? Planet Earth? Does any of that make sense?"

The young woman blinked. "…You and me may need to have a little talk, mister."

Zwei barked once.

* * *

A few minutes later, both Kiku and the young woman were inside what he assumed to be her house. He was sitting on a long couch, with the small dog jumping and barking all over him. The young woman approached from the kitchen, mugs of tea in hand.

"I tell you, buddy, I have never seen Zwei take that kindly to a stranger before," she mused.

Kiku shrugged. "I guess he just likes me."

She set the mugs onto the table in front of them. "You have any dogs, sir? I've found people who own dogs tend to do better with other ones."

"Yes, I do," he said. "A white fluffy one, named Pochi."

The young woman sat down, calling Zwei to her lap. "Well, this is Zwei. He's a corgi. Found this poor little guy wandering the shoreline a few years back. Looked like he hadn't eaten in days. So my dad took him in, gave him a name and…" She shook her head. "I am so sorry, where are my manners. I take you into my home, serve you tea, and tell you my pet's backstory, and I haven't even gotten around to telling my name." Zwei jumped to the floor as she extended her hand to Kiku. "I'm Yang Xiao Long. Last two are my surname, unhyphenated."

Kiku shook it. "Kiku. Kiku Honda."

Yang smirked. "Kiku, huh? Has a nice ring to it…" She sat back, taking the tea into her hands. "So… where… _exactly_ did you say you were from again?"

Kiku picked up his tea. "Ah, I'm from Japan. It's a small island nation, on… well, what I assume to be a different planet."

Yang laughed. "So, you're what? An alien or something? Because if you need to see my leader, it can kind of be arranged."

Kiku chuckled. "You could say that I am. Though, I am perfectly fine with you."

Yang raised a quick eyebrow at this. "Right… So, I assume you want to get back home ASAP."

He nodded. "Yes, that would be preferred. You see, I have a particularly… important role where I come from."

Yang slowly shook her head. "Please tell me you're not their king," she sighed.

Kiku shook his head quickly. "No, no. I'm no leader. I'm more of a… placeholder, perhaps."

She eyed him with a strange air. "And 'placeholder' is an important title now because…?"

"…Because I'm what keeps order. It's rather hard to explain, but-"

Yang held out her hand. "Okay, I'm gonna stop you there. There are a lot of things in this world of ours… well, mine… that are hard to explain. Dust chemistry is hard to explain. Interkingdom diplomacy is hard to explain. _Love_ is hard to explain. Your role in wherever it is you come from should not be hard to explain. So what is it?"

He sighed. He guessed he'd have to just say it. "I'm the country of Japan."

Yang almost dropped her tea. "…Okay, that _is_ hard to explain."

* * *

 _Author's Note: Dun dun DUUUN NOTREALLYATWIIIIST BECAUSETHAT'STHEWHOLEPREMISEOFHETALIAAAA ANDWEALLKNEWTHATGOINGIIIINNNNN_

 **Note from La Collaborateur: IDUNNOWHYYOU'REHEREIFYOUDIDN'TKNOWTHAAAAAT**

 _UNLESSYOU'RENEWTOHETALIAAAAAAAA ORATLEASTUNFAMILIARWITHTHESERIIIIIIES LIKEIWASLIKETHREEMONTHSAGOOOOOO_

 _…Anyway._

 _What shall become of our heroes now that the secret's out? And how will the Sun Dragon take this news? Tune in next time… Same Fic-Time, Same Fic-Channel!_

 _To Be Continued…_

 _And we mean that. We're not just gonna up and abandon this fic halfway through. Unlike SOME people. Not naming names… because I can't really think of any prominent deadfics right now…_

 **We're gonna take this ALL THE WAY, BABY.**

 _Straight to the top!_

 **Longest fic yet, I can assure you.**

 _Longest RWBY/Hetalia crossover, to be sure. Probably ever._

 **I have few regrets.**

 _I only regret not getting the number of that Coco Adel cosplayer back at [CITY REDACTED] Comic Con back in 2016. (If you're reading this, PM me!)_

 **I doubt that's gonna happen…**

 _A man can DREAM, can't he?! Anyways, this fic is far from over, so if you want to keep tabs on us, be sure to follow and/or favorite. Constructive criticism is more than welcome, so leave a review as well. And finally, if I may indulge in some self-promotion, check out my other works on my profile. It's top-shelf stuff, as I'm sure my partner can attest._

 **YES. You have issues.**

 _So?_


	2. The Visitor: Part 2

Yang stared wide-eyed at Kiku, unable to comprehend what she had just heard. "You're… You're a _what_?"

"A country. And a pretty old one, you could wager." He chuckled, rather uneasily.

Yang held out her palms. "Okay, okay, back up. First off… the hell is a country?"

Kiku tilted his head. "A country… well, what separates your world, wherever we are right now?"

Yang thought for a moment, looking a bit perplexed. "Well, uh… there's four kingdoms, those being Vale, Atlas, Vacuo, and Mistral. Well, four if you don't count Menagerie, which most don't…"

Kiku nodded in understanding. "Ah. Well, countries are like kingdoms. There's probably little difference."

Yang tilted her head. "So… _you_ must be one small country, then."

"What? N… No, I'm not the country itself. I'm more like… well, its people as one."

Yang looked even more confused. "Then… why is there only one of you?!"

Kiku laid back, and put his hand to his forehead. "Agh… It's hard to explain. I'm a personification, if that makes any more sense."

Yang looked a bit more at ease. "I… I guess that helps it a bit."

He sat up straight again, and turned to look at her. "W-Well, enough about me and my confusing self. What about you?"

She sat up, to face him. "Well, uh… I'm Yang. As you know. 17 years old, going on 18. I'm a student of Beacon Academy, in training to be a Huntress. I enjoy-"

"Ok, what's a 'Huntress,' exactly?"

Yang perked up. "Ah, glad you asked. Huntsmen and Huntresses are basically warriors who defend the people of Remnant- that's where we are right now- from the creatures of Grimm. My birth parents, uncle, and stepmother were all Huntsmen and Huntresses themselves."

Kiku looked very intrigued. "So… it's a militia?"

Yang shrugged. "Of sorts."

"And what's a… creature of… Grimm?"

"Oh, you know," Yang said nonchalantly. "Demonic creatures that roam the wilds and are drawn by negative emotions."

Kiku's eyes widened and his expression stiffened. "D… Demonic...creatures?"

Yang sighed. "Right. Demons probably aren't a thing in your world."

"W-Well, only in legend." He wiped a bit of sweat from his brow. "They aren't real where I come from."

Yang perked up. "Oh, two more key things I should mention."

"Oh…?"

'First: There's another sentient race here known as Faunus. Kinda persecuted. Very similar to humans, except for having one animal feature. Fangs, claws, tails, ears, et cetera. My friend Blake is one, but you did _not_ hear that from me."

"Hm… reminds me of something back home. Why are they persecuted? Any reason?"

Yang shrugged. "Mostly because they look different, and are therefore evil, hur geh bur geh bur. I don't really get it, personally."

"Sounds racist, if you ask me." He scoffed.

Yang rolled her eyes. "Pretty much, yeah." Her mood suddenly shifted. "Oh, second thing. Almost every weapon is also a gun."

"Really? Huh. I don't have my katana, but I guess if I did, I'd still be obsolete."

"Not strictly speaking. I mean, one of my friends can hold his own really well, and all he has is a sword and board."

"I see. Rather traditional."

Yang held up her arms, her hands clenched into fists. "If you're looking for something flashier, look no further. You see these bracelets?"

He observed them closely. "Yes, what about them?"

She pumped her arms once, and the bracelets rather suddenly expanded and shifted into two rather ostentatious gauntlets. "Meet Ember Celica."

Kiku jumped back, startled. "Whoa! Okay, that came out of nowhere. That's very impressive!"

Yang tilted her head, and smiled. "Aw, thanks! They can also shoot out Dust rounds that explode on impact. Like most weapons, but these have more of a punch to them. At the expense of range of course."

"My apologies, but another question: What do you mean by 'dust'?"

Her gauntlets shifted into the bracelet form. "Right, forgot about that part. Okay, first off, it's not dust. It's _Dust_. Capital D. Second, it's basically what powers Remnant. It's used for fuel, energy, ammunition, almost anything you can think of."

"Wow… Never heard of something to that extent on Earth. In terms of use."

Yang sighed. "But anyway, you think these-" she held up her bracelets- "are impressive, you should see what my sister swings around."

Kiku's face shifted into a concerned expression. "…You mean as in, weapon, right?"

"High-caliber sniper rifle combined with a scythe a foot taller than she is."

He sighed. "Oh, ok." He lightly slapped his cheek. "Stupid…"

She reached for her tea. "And besides, hers are a bit smaller anyway."

"N… Nani?"

Yang looked to him sharply. "So anyway. I'm guessing that without an Aura, you're not gonna last much. So we may need to get you back home." She started walking somewhere. "This way, follow, if you would."

"Yes, miss…" Kiku got up and followed. "Wait, what's an Aura?"

"I'll leave that question to Ozpin. In here." The door she opened led to a garage, in which was a yellow-and-orange motorcycle.

Kiku whistled. "Is that yours?"

Yang smirked as she ran a hand over its chassis. "I call her Bumblebee."

"Fitting name…"

"Right?" she laughed, as she picked up and donned a matching helmet. "Go ahead and grab the spare. You may need it." She mounted the motorcycle.

He nodded. "Of course. Safety first." He put on the spare helmet, and awkwardly got on behind her. "I'm not used to riding second…"

"That may explain the, uh… placement of your hands."

Kiku's face went red as a cherry as he put his hands up. "OH! I-I'm sorry, sorry, sorry, gomenasai!"

Yang gave a flattered laugh. "It's okay, Kiku. I know a lot of people who would love to-" Her face shifted for a moment. "Would you excuse me for a moment?"

Kiku's eyes shifted around, then he nodded. "Y-Yes, sorry."

She dismounted the motorcycle, and hurried back inside.

A few minutes later, she was back in, shuffling back onto the motorcycle. "Okay, let's go."

"May I ask what was the holdup?"

"Oh, I just needed to leave a note. Let my family know I'm out." She began to rev Bumblebee.

"Ah." He nodded, and hung on, this time watching his hands.

Yang kicked off, and Bumblebee sped off. "Next stop, Beacon Academy!"

* * *

Dear Dad and Ruby,

Have left to get a friend of mine home.

Hope to be back in time for supper.

Love you both,

Yang


	3. The Rift EXPOSED! (Not Clickbait)

Kiku and Yang stood in the elevator leading up to Ozpin's office. It had been slightly awkward getting here, what with almost everybody's most curious reactions to Kiku's… existence. But now, it was time for some answers.

Kiku took a deep breath. "So… who exactly is this person you had told me about? I may have forgotten."

Yang smirked. "Yeah, he's a bit hard to wrap your head around at first. Ozpin is the professor of this school. From what _I_ know, he's been around for a while."

"Ah…" Kiku replied, nodding with understanding. "…I doubt he's been around as long as I have, though…" he mumbled under his breath.

"You never know with this guy," Yang chuckled as the elevator came to a slow. "Well, this is it. Now, keep in mind: Ozpin is a _busy_ man. He probably won't have much time for us."

"I understand." Kiku stood up straight and brushed his uniform, trying to leave a good impression.

The elevator doors slid open, leading into a largish circular room. The floor was glass, showing multiple cogs, as though this were a giant clock. At the far end of the room was a huge window, overlooking the Beacon grounds. And in front of that, a modern-looking desk, with a chair occupied by a silver-haired man holding a cane.

Yang cleared her throat. "Er… Professor?"

"Ah, Miss Xiao Long," Ozpin said almost breathily as he looked up from the computer on his desk. "What did you want to…" He trailed off as soon as his eyes landed on Kiku.

"Good evening," Kiku greeted, bowing.

Ozpin was eerily silent for a moment, before speaking into his computer for a moment. "Violet, I'm going to need you to clear up my afternoon."

Kiku looked to Yang with uncertainty. She shrugged, confused.

Ozpin rose from his chair, and began to pace to the front of the desk. "So… Kiku Honda, was it?"

Kiku's eyes widened with surprise. "Y...You know who I am? How… How is that possible?"

Ozpin gave a mysterious smirk. "One easily recognizes a missing puzzle piece."

Kiku glanced at the floor for a bit, trying to think of an explanation for this. Alas, he couldn't.

"Perhaps I should elaborate," Ozpin sighed. "I assume you're both familiar with the concept of parallel universes?"

"W..Well, the concepts, yes," Kiku stammered. "I didn't know there was such a thing, however."

"It exists. But not in the way you probably think. You see, most universes run parallel with each other, and almost never intersect. This is why the concept is so hard to prove."

Yang's pocket suddenly started ringing, and she pulled out a phone-like object. "I have to take this. You guys keep talking." She walked a bit away.

"However, if an extremely powerful force can make it so… contact, and even travel between these timelines can occur."

Kiku put a hand on his chin. "So… that is what happened. But what force caused such contact?"

Ozpin sighed. "That I don't know. All I do know is that you need to get back soon or… the worst could transpire. You see, this universe will eventually recognize you are not part of it, and destroy you."

Kiku's face seemed to go pale white. "D… _Destroy_ … me?"

"That's not all. According to most people I've conferred with on this subject, any force used to wipe you out will be grossly overshot. Meaning… your destruction will mean ours."

Kiku now looked like he had just seen a ghost. He slowly put a hand to his forehead. "Oh… _Oh…_ I…" He stumbled a bit. "I may need to sit down or something…"

"But it's not hopeless," Ozpin continued. "A few hours ago, which is when I assume you arrived here, a large energy signature appeared a fair distance east of here. I believe it could be your ticket home."

Kiku stood straight. "Is that so? Then… there is no time to waste. I must be on my way as soon as possible."

Ozpin nodded in agreement. "There's just… one more thing I should mention. It's been theoretical up until now, but all agree that in order for this kind of travel to occur, another must be taken into the second universe. A sort of… counterbalance."

Kiku looked at him with concern. "So… someone else is now in my world."

Yang walked back over to the pair of them, a look on her face of concern, shock, fear, and anger.

"Not just anyone."


	4. Meanwhile

**Collaborator's Note: What's rather important for you to know is that here I place a rather minor headcanon of mine which is that Alfred (America) is an avid RWBY fan. In this context, however, it has a large part. That is all. Enjoy the chapter!**

 _Author's Note: Don't question it. I didn't. Like she said, however, enjoy._

If she had it in her to find it, the word Ruby Rose would use to describe her state would be "fuzzy." Her mind was fuzzy. Her vision was fuzzy. Her hearing was fuzzy. Her skin felt fuzzy. Everything was just fuzzy.

She put a hand to her head, pressing on her temple in an attempt to clear up her pounding headache. When she could finally focus her eyes, she found herself slumped against a brick wall in what looked like an alley. Past the rushing blood in her ears, she heard rushing cars and droning chatter.

"Weh… Wh-Where am I?" she stammered, slowly raising herself from the ground. Once she was up, however, she soon stumbled, bracing herself on the wall next to her.

She began to stagger toward what she assumed to be the street. "Dad…? Yang…? Hello?"

On the street, countless people walked busily, either looking at the street, looking ahead, or looking down. Some noticed her, but didn't bother to say anything.

Ruby was too disoriented to try and get anyone's attention, so she merely pressed her back to the wall and sighed. "Where _am_ I?"

Off to the side, a voice called out to her. "Hey, there! Need a lift to the convention?"

Her head turned sharply, and after the rushing blood settled down, she could see who called out to her: a blonde, blue-eyed, glasses-wearing young man who had a rather childish grin on his face, seeming to radiate energy and hyperness.

Ruby narrowed her eyes in confusion, and began to slowly walk over to him. "C-Convention?" she asked.

The man blinked once, but then smiled. "Yeah, Comic Con. That's what you're here for, right? It's just a few blocks down. Grade A cosplay you got there, by the way. Ten out of ten."

Ruby became even more confused by this. "Cosplay? Wh-What are you talking about? These are just my-"

The man put a hand on her shoulder. "Woah, woah, are you alright? You look a little tense. Are you lost or something?"

She backed away, slightly panicking. "I-I… _Where am I_?"

He tilted his head. "Well, you're in San Diego, missy. Not too far from the Mexican-American border. But you probably knew that coming here!"

Ruby began to get a little exasperated. "I don't even know _how_ I came here! I-I was just at home, on Patch, and my sister had gone out because our dog had gotten out, and I just felt a little light-headed and I wake up back there and… and… And…" She dropped to her knees and began to cry into her hands. "Where am I…?"

The young man got on his knees and tried to comfort her. "Shh, shh shh shh. It's okay. Patch, huh? Never heard of it. Sounds like an obscure town. What's your name? Maybe I can find your family, they're probably nearby if you woke up here."

Ruby brought her face out of her hands and looked at him. "R… Ruby."

He looked confused. "N-No, I mean your actual-"

She threw down her hands, abruptly standing up. " _That is my actual name_! My name is Ruby Rose, what about that is so hard to understand?!"

An expression of disbelief appeared on the man's face. "R… Ruby… Rose…? Okay, hold up…" He began to stand up. "Your sister's name is…"

"Yang Xiao Long," Ruby sighed, calming down a bit. "It's strange, I know, but the truth is, we're only-"

"Half-sisters."

Her silver eyes glinted with curiosity. "Y-Yeah… That's…"

"Your dog's name is Zwei, like the number two in German, right?"

Ruby slowly backed up. "Okay, first off, 'Zwei' means two in _Atlesian_. Second, how do you-" Suddenly, her scythe dropped from her back, hitting the ground and unfolding.

The young man's eyes widened and his jaw dropped. "You're… You're _the_ Ruby Rose. _THE_ Ruby Rose!"

"W-Well, I'm _a_ Ruby Rose," she stammered, picking up her scythe and refolding it. "I'm sure there's others somewhere…"

He began to hyperventilate. "…You… You're real… Am I dreaming? Is this real life?"

Ruby looked around, confused. "Um… I think so?"

"Y… You… You're like my hero. You're, like, the hero of the hero. That's… That's crazy."

Ruby slightly blushed. "Well, I… I'm not really a hero _yet_ … I'm kind of still in training."

"I just… you… I… Ahhhh…" He then flat-out passed out onto the ground.

Ruby worriedly looked down at him. "Sir? Sir!"

/

The young man woke up with a jolt. "FREEDOM-wha?"

He was in a back-alley, seemingly not far from where he just was… and she was still there.

Ruby was on her knees, looking to him. "You okay, sir?"

"R… Ruby… h-hey. S-Sorry about passing out on you like that. I just had problems taking it all in." He smiled sheepishly.

She raised an eyebrow at this comment. ' _You_ have problems taking it in?' she thought.

"Right, right, you still are lost." He nodded, and got up. "I really am sorry, though. I kinda left you in the dark. But I won't any longer."

Ruby stood up. "I… I guess you could start with your name."

"Oh!" He smiled, and put out his hand. "Alfred F. Jones! Just call me Alfred, if you'd like."

She shook his hand. "Ruby Rose. But I'm guessing you already knew that."

"Haha… yeah, guess I did." Alfred shrugged.

Ruby put out her hands and took a deep breath. "So, first question: Where… _exactly_ , am I?"

Alfred looked around. "Well… I'd say you're in the city of San Diego, in the state of California, in the country of the United States of America, on the planet Earth, in the solar system of the star Sol, in the Orion arm of the Milky Way Galaxy, in the Local galactic group, within the… Virgo supercluster, I believe. But the most that's important is just Earth." He grinned.

Ruby blinked a couple times. "Wow… that sounds like a long way from the island of Patch, off the coast of Vale, in the continent of Sanus, in Remnant, in…" She paused, looking up. "Actually, we haven't really gotten that far."

Alfred chuckled. "Haha, that's alright. Took us quite some time to find our place in the universe… Like, centuries of guessing and stuff. We used to think Earth was in the center."

"Wow," she sighed. "Okay… Second question, how did-" She trailed off rather abruptly when her stomach started growling. "Actually, second question: What's good to eat around here?"

Alfred's face brightened. "Hah! You've asked the right person. Let's go find somewhere to eat. Whatcha in the mood for?"

Ruby hummed a bit. "I'm kinda feeling noodles. Mistrali style."

"Like… spaghetti or ramen?"

"Ramen, that's it," Ruby nodded.

"Then it's settled!" Alfred put a hand on her shoulder, and with the other, pointed out at nothing dramatically. "To the nearest Asian food restaurant! ASAP!" He laughed loudly.

He didn't see it, but Ruby had blushed slightly at his touch.

/

It seemed Ruby's hunger had been sated, if the speed at which she devoured the noodle dish was any indication.

"Wow. You inhaled that bowl! Just about as fast as I eat burgers."

Ruby sighed. "I was hungry… don't judge me."

Alfred chuckled, then sighed. "Hey, I don't. In fact, I kinda have a reputation for my fast eating. And loud eating, too…"

Ruby laughed a little, before her face darkened. "Okay… now that that's taken care of… third question." She folded her hands and leaned over the table. "Pardon my language, but… How the _hell_ do you know everything about me?"

Alfred's expression turned from ease to nerve. "O-Oh… that. I… I'd rather not tell you. Don't want to cause a paradox or something."

Ruby's eyes narrowed, her face contorting into an uncharacteristic glare. "You expect me to swallow that kind of answer? You don't just tell somebody the name of their own _dog_ and then not tell them how. Why are you some kind of expert on all things _me_?"

Alfred began to sweat. "If I gotta, Y… You sure you can handle it? It's quite a-"

Ruby put her hands up. "I've faced down more Grimm than you'll ever see in your life. Whatever you have to tell me, it cannot, repeat, _cannot_ , be that big of a deal."

"Ah… It's more of a _mental_ test… like, quite a game-changer."

"Just tell me already. I swear, after what I've been through today, it can't be as big a deal as you're-"

"You're a fictional character!" Alfred cried. "You're from a show. One I'm a massive fan of." He sighed, looking rather guilty.

Ruby's eyes widened, and her heart skipped several beats. "Okay… that _is_ kind of a big deal."


	5. We're Off

Kiku and Yang approached Bumblebee, which was parked outside the Beacon grounds.

"Let me see if I have this perfectly clear," Kiku stated, a confused look on his face. "Not only do we need to make it to this interdimensional rift in a single month, but _your_ half-sister is trapped in _my_ dimension, and must find her _own_ rift within the same time frame?"

"Yep, that's about the long and short of it," Yang half-shouted, clearly still distressed over what happened to this 'Ruby.'

"Oh, dear… I do hope she finds her way back home as well."

Yang picked up her helmet. "You and me both, Mr. Honda."

"Not to mention that the severity of the situation here is the same with her…" His expression darkened.

"And!" Yang snapped, pointing her finger. "And, if both of you _aren't_ at your respective rifts in a month's time, our universes will collapse on themselves, dooming _everyone_!"

"I am fully aware of that," Kiku sighed, feeling his stomach churn at the mention of it. "We have quite a massive weight on our shoulders."

Yang looked at her gauntlets. "Then it's a good thing I can bench 275."

"What's also bothering me is the uncertainty. We have no idea that she even _knows_ what is at risk, or what to do. That could end up dooming my world… m-my… people…" Kiku stopped in place, feeling himself gag from the stress.

Yang looked over to him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, it's okay. Trust me. We'll get there. And I have faith that my sister will too."

"A-Are… Are you willing to bet so much on faith…?" He looked to her, looking a sickly pale.

She gave him a soft, but determined smile. "My sister's never let me or my team down before. I doubt she will now."

"O-Okay." Kiku straightened up, trying to look determined. "I trust you."

She patted his shoulder. "I appreciate that, Kiku." She put on the helmet, and mounted the motorcycle. "You ready to head home?"

Kiku did the same. "Hai. Let us be off."

The motorcycle revved once, and sped off due east.


	6. A Truth Far Stranger Than Fiction

"So… uh… how're you taking this so far?" Alfred chuckled nervously, as he and Ruby were walking to his house.

Ruby's eyes were cast at the ground, as she mumbled to herself, "I'm not real… I'm not real…"

"Well, technically, you are," he stammered. "Unless I'm high or drunk or something, and I'm talking to nothing." He looked around, looking to see if people were staring.

She just kept shaking her head. "I'm just a character… The brainchild of some…" She looked at Alfred. "Who made me?" she asked, curiously.

"Ah… Monty Oum, I believe." He shrugged, casually.

Soon, they had arrived at Alfred's place, where Ruby quickly found a couch and collapsed.

Alfred leaned over the other side of the couch, looking concerned. "You gonna be alright?"

She just shuddered. "You were right… I wasn't ready…"

He frowned. "Look, don't let it get to you. For all we know, I'm one as well." He slightly smirked. 'Man, this'd make for a sick crossover…' he thought to himself.

Ruby just sighed. "…Show me."

"Eh?" His head tilted. "Whadda you mean?"

She looked up at him. "You told me I'm from a show. Let me see it. It'll probably make this easier."

Alfred sighed. "Alright, I'll show you. Just give me a sec, I'll grab my laptop." He ran to go get it. "I don't know if I should show you all of it, though…" he murmured.

Ruby was too lost in herself to hear him. 'I'm a character,' she thought again. 'My world is a work of fiction. Everything about me… my memories, my family, my friends, my life… it's all fake. I'm fake.' A tear came to her eye. "…I'm fake…" She began to cry.

"Doo do doo doo! I found it!" Alfred yelled, running into the room and jumping onto a chair. "How 'bout you make some room on the couch, so we can watch it together…" It was then that he noticed her tears.

"R… Ruby? Are you alright?"

"I'm fake," she muttered through her tears. "I'm fake…"

Alfred got up, leaving the laptop on the chair, and walked over to her, kneeling next to her. "Hey, hey," he said gently, stroking her shoulder. "You're not fake. Don't say that."

"Why not?" she choked out. "It's like you keep saying, 'fictional' this, 'from a show' that…" She bolted upright. "Is that all I am to you?! Some fanboy fanfic fantasy come true?! Your favorite character in real life?! I thought you were trying to help me!" She collapsed back into soft tears.

Alfred could feel his heart crack. He pulled himself onto the couch. "What? No, no no no no no!" He wrapped his arms around her shoulders, letting her cry into his. "That's not true at all! Sure, you're really cool, but I don't like you just because of some show. I like you for who are as a person. Heck, if you were just a cosplayer who was lost, I would've still helped you! I would've still paid for the noodles! I would've helped you find your family! Please, don't cry. If you cry, then I'm gonna cry, and we won't get anywhere…"

Ruby took a couple deep, shuddering breaths. She gently pulled away from Alfred, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Thanks, Alfred…"

He put his arm around her, holding her closely. "I'll be here for you, Ruby. I promise. I'm the Hero, after all. It'd be terrible for me not to."

She smiled softly. "Thank you so much." She sighed. "Okay. I'm ready." Her eyes met his. "Show me."

* * *

4 Hours Later

* * *

Alfred slowly closed the laptop. "Well?" He looked to her. "What did you think?"

Her eyes were wider than they had been all day. Her mouth hung open, and shallow breaths could be heard. Her face was almost completely pale.

"…Did I scar you again…?" he murmured, unsure.

Without a second's warning, she toppled to the side into his lap.

"Wha-? Ruby?! You okay? Say something!"

"That… was awesome," she said at last.

He sighed with relief. "Okay, good, I was afraid you were-"

"I'm a fictional character…" She looked up at him. "But at least I'm a fictional character from a great show."

A wide grin formed on Alfred's face. "Great, I'm so glad you like it. Now you can kinda get my hype."

"Sure, I get the hype." She sat up, pointing to something on his shelf. "What I don't get is that."

"Hm?" He looked to where she was pointing. "What're you…"

She gently grabbed his head, shifting it in the direction of what she was pointing out: a small plush replica of her. "THAT."

Alfred blushed. "Oh…" He sat up, scratching his back shyly. "That. That's, uh… well… It's exactly what it looks like. Not a voodoo doll, if that was what you're thinking."

"What I'm thinking is, 'Why is there a small me on your shelf?'"

"It's just merch. I decided to get some for myself… don't judge me."

Ruby slowly leaned toward him. "Do you have a pillow?" she whispered.

Alfred looked at her. "Do I what now?!"

She blinked. "Okay. You don't." She stood up, and picked up the plush her.

He shrugged. "I'm not that lonely, kid. Believe me."

Ruby was studying the little version of her from every angle.

"Yeah, that's my favorite of all I have." He smirked. "I try to make sure it stays in good condition."

She brought it in for a quick, quasi-narcissistic hug before placing it back on the shelf. "It's pretty cute…"

He smiled. "Yeah… glad you agree."

She looked at him, then down at herself. "I'm guessing this is gonna be a regular thing long as I'm here. Getting recognized, dealing with fans, autographs, photo ops, blah blah blah."

"Haha, like a celebrity. But, well, if you don't want such hustle and bustle, I could pull a few strings for you. Keep this whole thing under wraps."

Ruby looked intrigued. "You can do that?"

Alfred crossed his arms, looking confident. "I've got more power than you think, kid. There's a reason why I live in a place as big as this."

She laughed. "I guess there is. But for now… I have one more question."

He leaned forward a bit. "Yeah? Go ahead."

Ruby looked down shyly, then looked back at him.

"Why am I your favorite?"


	7. A Grimm Turn of Events

Yang had parked her motorcycle in the Emerald Forest for a moment. Turned out one of the Dust banks had already given out, and she needed to replace it.

"How are you holding up, Honda?" Yang asked, wiping her brow.

"I'm holding up alright. Thank you for asking."

"Good," she said, eyeing her surroundings suspiciously. "Try to hold onto that. For both our sakes."

"Okay." He nodded, and sat down to take a breather. "Is everything alright? You seem tense."

Yang slammed the hatch on the bike closed, her work finished just in time. "If that's the case, we both better brace ourselves."

Kiku stood back up. "What do you mean…"

Yang snapped her head to her right. "I may have forgot to mention a couple things. One, Grimm are drawn by negative emotions. Two, this forest is crawling with them." A portion of the underbrush was stirred. "Get behind me!" she shouted.

"Wha-?!" Kiku was confused, but did as told.

Right as he shuffled himself behind Yang, a terrifying creature burst into view. It had the shape of a werewolf, but its body was all black, with ivory white claws and spikes all over its arms. Where the face was meant to be sat a mask-like shell, white with jagged red lines all over it.

"Beowolf," Yang snarled, shifting Ember Celica into gauntlets.

Kiku looked absolutely terrified. "I-I s-see that this isn't your first encounter…" he stuttered through chattering teeth.

Yang's eyes narrowed. "And it sure as hell won't be the last." At an almost blinding speed, she charged at the Beowolf, delivering a powerful uppercut and sending it flying. Kiku could swear he heard a gunshot…

Kiku couldn't believe what he was seeing. He was absolutely blown away.

Yang turned back to him with a worried expression. " _Duck_!"

He heard a loud, corrupted roar coming from behind him. He immediately curled into a ball, covering his head as another one of the horrifying creatures sailed over him, only to be met by an orange fireball that sent it backward. He could see Yang jumping over him, and a short while later, the Grimm landed on its back not a foot from him, before dissolving into black smoke.

At this point, Kiku was rendered speechless. As he lay catatonic on his back, the sun in his eyes, there were only two words on his mind: "How?" "What?"

Yang de-equipped her gauntlets and walked over to him. "Need a hand?" she smirked, extending her hand to help him up.

It took a few seconds for his mind to catch up to the present. "Ah! Oh! Thank you." He took it, getting back up. "I… That was… impressive."

Yang smiled, looking a bit flattered, before her expression turned a bit more serious. "Just remember: From now on, positive thoughts. Okay?"

Kiku nodded sternly. "Yes. No more deep thoughts about what is at stake. Think about-"

Yang put out her hands. "Whoa, whoa. Well, you can think about them. If it'll motivate you. Just don't let it take over. You know?"

"Hai, I understand. I will stop obsessing about it, and think happier thoughts to take my mind off it."

Yang tilted her head in curiosity. "What, uh… what was that first thing you said?"

Kiku's eyes narrowed, a little confused. "What do you mean? I said 'Hai, I understand.'"

She waved her hand in a sarcastic fashion. "Yes, hi, we've already met."

Kiku thought for a bit. "What… Oh! You mean 'hai.' Well, that's how I say 'yes' in my language."

Yang's eyes widened in realization. "That… Your language?"

He nodded. "Yes. My language, Japanese. In my world, people speak many languages. English, Japanese, French, German…"

Yang's hand went to the back of her head. "Huh… Far as I know, there's mostly one common language here. The others are kind of dead."

Kiku's head tilted. "Really? Interesting. There's only a few dead languages in my world, most well-known is Latin."

"Huh," Yang mused, before looking back up at the sun. "Crap."

Kiku looked up, wondering what she was looking at. "What is it?"

She began to walk back to the motorcycle. "Looks like we're losing daylight."

Kiku looked for a bit longer, then followed her. "It seems so. Should we move on?"

Yang picked up her helmet. "That's the plan," she chirped, tossing Kiku his helmet.

He caught it, and put it on. "Then let us be off."


	8. The First Night

The campfire crackled, sending embers skyward. In the dark, black night sky above, there were no clouds to be seen, giving Kiku a clear view of a very curious sight. He pointed up. "That… is that the moon here?"

Yang sighed. "Yep. What, yours _hasn't_ been shattered by probably supernatural means?" The question dripped sarcasm.

He shook his head. "Nope, the moon next to Earth is a smooth sphere. At least, it looks that way." ' _How would that affect the tides here?_ ' he pondered to himself.

"If you're wondering about stuff like tides, so's everyone else," she chuckled. "Personally, I think it's an illusion, and some evil force is playing us all."

He looked at her. "Well, whatever force supposedly is doing it, if that's all it's doing, would it still be considered evil?"

Yang shrugged. "Puts everyone at a certain unease. Amplifies negative emotions. More Grimm. You do the math."

"Real shame." He looked back at it. "In my world, the moon can be seen as a more calming sight."

"Well, I guess this one's calming. In the same way a still image of a train wreck is somewhat serene…"

Kiku's expression soured. "Is that an accurate analogy? Because… I don't know how you people live with the _moon_ , of all things, being a symbol of disaster."

"Well…" Yang rubbed the back of her head. "I guess it's something of a metaphor. Disaster all around us and even above, yet somehow, we're all still living."

"A metaphor, hm?" He closed his eyes, thinking. "Sounds rather poetic."

"This is a poetic world, in a lot of ways. Why do you think we named the substance that saved us in our origins 'Dust?'"

"Good point," Kiku remarked.

"I mean, who knows? Maybe this _is_ one long poem."

"Could be. Just a poetic dream."

"If that's the case…" She looked at him fondly, her face flickering in the firelight. "I'm glad you showed up for a couple of stanzas."

He looked back at her, smiling. "Thank you. It has been quite an experience so far."

"Yeah. Hopefully it just gets better."

Kiku looked into the fire. "And hopefully this poem doesn't end with me."

Yang smiled sadly. "I thought I told you not to think like that."

He quickly sat up straight. "Y-Yes, yes, of course. Think about Pochi running around in the grass."

"Think about him sitting by the door. Waiting for you." She crawled a little closer. "I think he really wants to see you again."

He sighed. "I hope he pulls through on his own. And someone feeds him while I'm gone. The last thing I want for him is for him to starve."

"Ah, he'll be fine," she said, waving a hand in dismissal. "Long as you remembered to leave out the can opener."

"Well, I think-" His head sharply turned to her. "Wait… _what?!_ "

Yang moved to her bedroll. "Gettin' a little late, Kiku. We've got a lot of ground to cover…"

Kiku looked around. "Should someone stay up? Keep guard?"

"Long as you have pleasant dreams, we'll be fine." She stretched out on her back. "But just in case, you ought to take first watch. Wake me if you see anything."

"That is fine by me. I'll keep an eye out. Does it matter when your shift starts?" he asked.

"Not really. Just… when you get tired." She turned herself over.

There was a silence for about two minutes.

"…Kiku?"

"Yes?" He turned to look at her.

"I didn't want to say it in front of Ozpin, but… I'm scared for her." Her speech was getting a bit strained. "My sister…"

He walked over to her and knelt down. "It'll be alright. Surely she will find her way."

Yang shifted, to look to him. "Look, strong as she is… Ruby never really did too well on her own. I hate to think of her… in some alley…" A tear was forming in her eye. "Cold… scared… lost…"

Kiku put his hand on her shoulder. "As rather different and unpredictable my world is, I can assure you that there are many good people there that would be willing to help her."

She sighed. "I only hope she found one of them…"

* * *

Meanwhile, on Earth…

* * *

Alfred switched on the light in the guest room. "Think this'll do for now?"

Ruby jumped onto the bed, now dressed in sweatpants and (fittingly enough) a shirt bearing her insignia. "I'm just glad it's not behind a dumpster or something." Her gaze was taken to the nearby window. "I'm still a bit shocked, though."

"Shocked? About what? About… that whole ordeal?"

"Well, _that_ … but also that," she said, pointing at the full moon outside. "I'm surprised your moon is in one piece."

"Oh, yeah, that! Heh, didn't even cross my mind that _that'd_ stand out to you. I'm a dum dum." He gently slapped his cheek. "But yeah, it is. People have been to it, too."

She looked at him with piqued curiosity. "You… You people have actually been to _space_?"

He nodded eagerly. "Oh, yeah! We've got tons of stuff out in space now. Only a few have been on the moon, but a lot of people go to space, some people _live_ in it. We've even got rovers on our neighboring planet, Mars."

"Wow. My world can't even find an energy source to get _into_ space."

He chuckled, a little less eager. "Takes a LOT of rocket fuel… lots and lots of kerosene, as well as petroleum and liquid oxygen."

"Can, uh… Can those shoot Dust?" she asked, tilting her head.

"What?" He giggled a bit. "N-No, no. What I just listed are fuels, like, fossil fuels. Oil and coal and stuff…" He thought for a bit. "Let me put it this way. Dust is the stuff Remnant runs on, oil is Earth's."

She looked into the middle distance a moment. "Huh. So, your guns shoot… oil?"

Alfred shook his head. "Nope, our guns shoot bullets. Made of lead. What propels them is gunpowder, though-"

Ruby laughed a moment. "Your guns use _powder_? Do you have any idea how ridiculous that sounds?"

Alfred's face deadpanned for a second. "And is 'Dust' supposed to be any more dignified?"

"Touché," she muttered, between residual snickers, before yawning.

Alfred put his hands together, and smiled warmly. "So? You all set? Need anything else? Glass of water? Another blanket? Stuffed dragon?"

Ruby nestled into the covers. "…I think I'm okay. I just… It's been a really long day. And I'm tired…"

He nodded. "Alright, alright, I get that. Want the door open or closed?"

"Open, I guess," she muttered, shifting deeper into the bed.

"Cool. Well, goodnight, kid."

"Goodnight."

With that, Alfred switched off the light, and was about to leave…

"…Alfred?"

Alfred turned on the hall light and walked to her. "Yeah?"

Ruby's face was somber. "You… You think she'll be okay? My sister? She gets really worried about me on my own. And I know she has some right to be, but…" Her silver eyes began to moisten. "But me just winking out like that, it…"

"Shh shh shh… It's okay. It'll be alright. She'll be alright. We just gotta brave through this." He sat on the side of the bed.

"But… But what if I end up stuck here? What if I never see my sister again? Or my dad, or Zwei, or any of my friends, or…" Her eyes welled with tears, streaming down her face. "Or _her_ …" She buried her face in the pillow, beginning to cry more audibly.

Alfred put his hand on her back. "Don't worry, Ruby. I know a guy. And… to be honest, I'm sorta going through a sorta similar thing."

She sniffed, looking up at him. "Y… You are?"

He nodded slowly. "One of my friends has gone missing recently. His name is Kiku Honda, and he's one of my closer friends."

"You… Do you think that… him going missing has anything to do with…"

His eyes widened. "Oh my gosh, you're right. It could be…"

Ruby sighed. "Can this wait until morning, please? I have some tears to sleep through…"

He shook his head, clearing his thoughts. "L-Look, that part isn't important right now. Where I was going with that is… well, I haven't let that pull me down. He's my friend, and I will do all that I can to find him. And I will do the same to get you home."

She smiled. "Thanks, Alfred. Thank you so much…"

He smiled in return. "Hey, you're going through a difficult time. Quite a dilemma. It's the least I could do."

Ruby's head sank into the pillow. "I'm so lucky I met you…"

Alfred stroked her hair. "I gotta admit, I _am_ a nice guy."

She smirked. "If you _were_ that nice, you'd let me sleep."

He got back up. "Well, hey, if you wanted that, you just needed to ask." He chuckled.

"And, Alfred?"

"Yeah?"

Ruby eyed him with a playful air. "I know our worlds are very different, but Remnant has fandoms as well. If you have any questions, I could sate your curiosity sometime. Within reason."

Alfred laughed. "…Got it."

She began to nod off, grinning. "Great. Thanks…"

"You're welcome," he whispered, before walking out.

Ruby shifted her body, now fast asleep.

* * *

A phone ringing echoed throughout a mansion somewhat outside of London. Arthur Kirkland, a rather bushy-browed blonde-haired, green-eyed bitter Brit, walked up to the phone and answered it.

"Hello?"

"Hey, England. It's me."

Arthur huffed. "What is it that you want from me now, America."

"It's gonna be a bit hard to explain, but…" He sighed. "I… I need your magic skills."

The Englishman's eyes widened. Alfred had never asked such a favor. He usually thought his magic wasn't real. "...You _what_ now?"

"Ok, Arthur, you're just gonna have to believe me on this: There's a girl here, who's from another dimension, that needs help getting home. And, uh, she's from a franchise I like."

Arthur's expression soured. "Now I _know_ you're making fun of me."

"I'm not making this up, Art. Every word of it is true."

Arthur expected a chuckle or a snicker in that sentence, but it was absent of any laughter, and devoid of any humor.

"...You're serious."

"Yeah. I am. I need you over here ASAP."

"Where."

"L.A."

"Hrgh. Fine. Expect me in a day."

"Great. Thanks, Arthur! I'll make it up to you, I promise."

"I will see you then. You are at your mansion, yes?"

"Yep. See you then."

Arthur hung up the phone, and his eyes shifted to a tapestry on his wall, depicting two human figures, and a large, draconic creature.

"So… it's all coming together, then, is it?"


	9. Tell Me About Them

Kiku looked out from the bluff. Below him was a vast forest. A forest he and Yang had just been through. "What a view…" he mused.

"Really something, isn't it?" grinned Yang, coming up to him. She pointed off to the north. "See that cliff?"

Kiku looked to it. "Yes. What about it?"

"That was the cliff Ozpin launched me and my sister off of during our initiation at Beacon."

"Ye-wait, _launched_?"

"Yep. Into the air."

Kiku looked at her with disbelief. "…Is gravity a bit weaker here, or something? Or are you very good at landing?"

"We kind of have to be the latter. It was about landing strategies."

He looked back at the cliff. "That is quite an initiation."

She laughed. "Sure was. I haven't even mentioned what my sister did to this one Grimm. Basically launched herself off a cliff (with my and her team's help, of course) and decapitated a Nevermore."

"What's that, I may ask?"

"Giant raven-shaped Grimm. Always loved killing _them_ most, for some reason."

"I see. And your sister killed it?"

"Killed it dead."

"And she's your _little_ sister, right?"

Yang shrugged. "By two years, sure."

"That's… that's incredible. Most children her age are too busy with their schoolwork to do any sort of fighting."

She laughed. "Our schoolwork _is_ fighting, bud. We're training to battle Grimm, remember?"

He nodded. "Yes, I remember. It's just that… no schools where I am from focus on fighting. Still, even though this is not my world, it's impressive for someone her age fighting like that. And… well, may I ask you something?"

"Hm? What is it?"

"You've spoken of your sister quite a lot, and I'd like to know: what's she like?"

Yang sighed, sitting on a nearby stump. "Well, her name's Ruby Rose."

Kiku's head tilted in confusion. "But… she's your sister?"

"Half-sister actually. But I won't get into it here. Anyway, she's… well, she's what I'd describe as the classic wide-eye. To her, everything in this world of ours is a fairy tale. She know's it's a dark place, or course, but… she's always tried her hardest to make it a bit lighter."

"So… would you say she's naive, or just optimistic?"

"I wouldn't call her naive. To her face, anyway. But she's definitely a very optimistic person. Friendly, too. I don't think she's met anyone who didn't at some point become her friend." Her face scrunched a moment. "Well, maybe one or two…"

"She sounds like a very likable person. Reminds me of a few people I know back home."

Yang was a bit lost in thought. "Such a sweet kid," she muttered.

Kiku closed his eyes. "I can imagine. I can see why you'd miss her."

She sighed. "I only hope she's doing okay…"

* * *

Meanwhile, on Earth…

* * *

"…And then, she punched me right in the gut. _Hard_."

Ruby winced. "Oof. Even _I_ could've told you to stay off _that_ particular topic…"

Alfred chuckled lightly, pouring her a cup of coffee. "Yeah, I sorta regret saying that. Could've reworded that phrase. Uh, cream and five sugars, right?"

"Yep."

He brought the coffee to the table where she was sitting. "Anyways, it was then I decided that she obviously didn't like me anymore. So that's when I left the Philippines." He sat down at the table. "But I turned around, right as I was about to close that door, and I looked her right in the eye, and said… 'I shall return.'"

She took a sip from her coffee. "Wow. Sounds like a rough week."

"Yeah, but that was awhile ago. About-" He stopped there. "Ah, I forgot how long ago."

Ruby sighed. "So, uh… Alfred."

"Yeah? What's up?" He picked up his coffee.

"Well… Last night, you told me about how a friend of yours… Kiku, was it? Had gone missing."

Alfred's expression seemed to become rather somber. "Oh. Yeah."

"What, uh… what's he like?"

He smiled faintly. "He's a bit opposite of me. Rather calm, collected, but despite that, he can speak his mind, not unlike me. We were roommates for a bit, and during that we got to know each other a bit more."

Ruby hummed in acknowledgement. "Sounds kinda like a male version of Blake," she hummed, smiling.

"Heh." He sipped his coffee. "That's a rather accurate description. He even somewhat matches her physically, black hair, brownish eyes. Except, he's rather short."

"Well, I'm sure I don't have to tell you Blake has amber eyes. Such… vibrant amber eyes…" She looked at nothing for a moment.

"Yeah-" Alfred stared at her observantly. "Hold up. What about that…?"

Ruby snapped out of her trance. "Never mind." She looked back at Alfred. "What else is he like?"

"Right, right. His eyes, however, are rather big, irises look sort of flat, and color much darker in contrast to Blake's. Sorry, without my glasses, sometimes I see colors differently… Anyways, that sorta gives off a feeling of wisdom, and gives you an idea about his personality. Very restrained. Except for that one time we had a debate about the water bill and he called me…" He snickered. "He called me a 'fat butt.' Now, _that_ was unexpected."

She snickered a bit. "But… you're not even that fat."

Alfred looked at her, looking a bit touched. "Really? Thanks. People tend to call me fat sometimes…"

"Are body standards just way harsher on this planet?"

He shrugged. "Could be. Girls just love buff guys, and guys just love slim girls."

"And some girls also like… uh… girls? That a thing here too?"

"Oh, that! That _used_ to not be a thing, at least, where most were concerned, but recently, it's become _far_ more accepted in society."

"I see…" She had finished her coffee. "Seems like I won't have to spend _too_ much time getting used to this planet… that is, if that's not the only similarity…"

"Eh?" He sipped his coffee, then eyed her slyly. "Mhm, there's more to this planet than just homosexual people, of course. Though, people seem _very_ glad that it's now accepted, including myself."

Ruby smirked. "Really now."

"Yeah, I'm glad people of my country can love each other a bit more."

She looked a bit curious. "So… you never answered my question yesterday…"

"Which one? You asked a lot."

"…Why am I your favorite?"

"Well… I can relate to you the most. You want to change the world for the better, and so do I! To be the hero!"

Ruby smiled. "Well, thanks."

Alfred grinned. "Does that answer that for you?"

"Yeah. Yeah it does."


	10. News Travels Fast

Rapid footsteps echoed down the stone hallway, a hurried shadow rushing through the torchlight.

"It's happening, it's happening… I can't believe it's happening…"

The individual soon arrived in the central chamber, where a robed man stood, deep in thought.

"Glaze, my lord!" he panted, kneeling.

Glaze turned to face the acolyte. "What is it, Aster?"

"The Undoing! The Endtimes are upon us!"

"What?!"

"He speaks the truth," spoke a robed woman, entering the chamber. "One of our scouts has seen a Misplaced. Surely you have felt it, my lord. The Undoing has arrived."

He stood, deep in thought, before turning back to the wall, where stood a tapestry with two human figures and a large, eight-headed dragon.

"Finally…"


	11. First Blood

_Author's Disclaimer: This chapter contains mild language. Like,_ mild _mild language. You'd feel insulted if they gave this to you at a Mexican food place._

 **Collaborator's Disclaimer: There's a certain bomb being dropped. Be warned.**

 _But not too warned._

Bumblebee sped along the forest road, Yang's eyes forward. Kiku observed their surroundings closely, looking for anything that needed attention.

"Just taking it all in back there?"

"Hai. Don't want to be caught off guard." He squinted closely. "Hold up, what's that?"

Yang braked. "What?"

He pointed out. "Do you see that? Looks like a wreck of some sort. Was this known?"

She squinted. "It's uh… not exactly common here. We should check it out."

"Okay."

* * *

The motorcycle pulled up to the wreck, in a clearing.

Yang stepped off. "Hm… doesn't look too bad… nothing's wrecked… Judging from that open hatch, I'm betting anyone that was on board has already bailed."

Kiku followed. "I wonder what happened."

She looked at a logo on the side of the craft. "…'Merlot Industries…'?"

Kiku shrugged. "If any of us would recognize that, it'd have to be you."

Her eyes went wide with recognition. "Kiku, we have to leave." She quickly walked back to the motorcycle.

"What? What's wrong?" He looked to her, hesitating to follow.

She turned back to him. "Come on! We're leaving! _Now_!"

"Okay, but what's the matter?" He rushed to her, somewhat startled.

Yang turned to him, sharply. "Kiku, listen to me. That airship belongs to a man I am _very_ familiar with. He's dangerous, he's ruthless, and most of all, he's completely obsessed with-"

A deafening noise came from behind them as the bulkhead was blown clean off, and out stumbled a large Beowolf, with glowing green spikes coming out of its back. As it roared, Kiku looked to Yang, and for the first time… she looked terrified.

" _RUN_!" she yelled, tearing for the trees.

Kiku felt almost paralyzed in fear, and turned to run.

The Beowolf leaped to him, grabbing his leg, and throwing him to the wreck. He hit it back-first.

" _KIKU_!" Yang yelled in fear and anger.

He winced, trying to help himself up as the creature ran to him, a crazed hunger in its eyes.

'Already?' he thought. 'It only took that much to knock me down? Pathetic.' He looked around, frantically. 'Come on, come on… what can I use… that.'

The Grimm leapt at him, claws extended and roaring. Kiku quickly dodged its attack, letting it slam into the ship, and grabbed a loose pipe from the wreckage.

The Grimm roared at him and lunged, slicing into his torso. He winced, but then growled and swung the pipe at the beast's head. The blow connected… which only seemed to make it angrier.

It slashed at his leg, completely severing his foot.

"AGH!" He stumbled down, trying to stand back up, now with a single foot. The Grimm snarled, swiping at him, but the attack missed, and it ended up with its claws stuck in the side of the wreck. Kiku took the advantage and struck at its neck.

The Beowolf roared in what sounded like pain, and slumped to the ground.

Yang rushed to Kiku, as he collapsed.

"Is… Is it dead?" he groaned. "Did I kill it?"

"Sure, I think, the neck's kind of a pressure point with these things, but…" She tried to help him up. "I'm more worried about you!"

Kiku looked at her, confused. "Why?"

She pointed to his leg. "Your foot! It's… We need to get you medical attention!"

He looked to it. "…Huh. It _is_ off. What do you know."

Her expression expertly blended confusion and worry. " _How is this not a big deal to you_?!" she shouted.

"Well, I _have_ had worse." He struggled to stand up.

"Worse than your _goddamned foot being sliced_ -" Her eyes went wide. "It… It's back. Why is it back. How is it back." She grabbed his shoulders and shook him. " _WHAT ARE YOU?!_ "

He looked down at his foot and wiggled his toes. "Ah, there it is. Well, I thought I told you already."

She took a step back. "At no point in telling me that you are a country did you think to mention you could grow back body parts like a fucking lizard."

"Ah… well, I'm immortal. I can't die. Or be harmed by something like that."

Yang took a deep breath. "That would have been good to know before I almost had a heart attack, but… thank you for telling me."

He smiled faintly. "Yes, I should have told you that much sooner."

"I suppose so." She looked at the wreckage again. "Well, no point hanging around here." She started to walk back to the motorcycle. "Let's head out before anything else tries and fails to kill you."

"Agreed." He picked up his shoe, and followed her.


	12. A Deeper Understanding

"I… You'll forgive me if I'm still not over the whole regenerating limb thing, Kiku," Yang smirked, slumping by the fire.

"I understand. It's not… normal." Kiku sat next to her.

"I'd assume it was your Semblance… that is, if your Aura was unlocked."

"Ah, yes. That. I'm still trying to wrap my head around the concept. You'll have to forgive me."

She sighed. "If it helps, think of it as… like a full-body suit of armor that surrounds every creature in the world."

"Like… a forcefield of some sort?" His head tilted.

"Something like that. It also lets us unlock our Semblance. They're like these… special powers, I guess. Reflections of our souls."

"Oh. So… do you have one?"

Yang perked up. "Of course I do. My Semblance is power."

"Sounds rather basic… I assume there's much more to it, though."

"Oh, absolutely. Simplest way I can describe it is… the more my Aura is hurt, the stronger I'm able to hit back."

"Reminds me of something I've seen in a video game…"

"I get that a lot. But anyway… the whole immortality thing. How exactly does that work?"

Kiku shifted a bit in his seat. "Ah, it's rather complicated. But I will try to explain it to you. I'm not exactly sure of the relations between me and my people, but I theorize that the souls of me and my people are sort of connected. It's the fact that they're alive that keeps me alive."

Yang looked at him with rapt attention. "Wow. That's… that's deep."

He nodded, smiling a bit. "About the whole regeneration thing, however… I think that also has something to do with the soul link. However, I can be wounded in the same way a mortal can, if the wound is delivered by another of my kind. Sort of an equal strength-type thing."

"So, I guess… you're safe here?"

"I assume so. There's nothing here that matches me here, at least as of now, so it-"

"I just want you to be careful, okay?" she piped up, her voice strained. "J… just in case there is."

"Even though the chances are slim…"

"That doesn't matter," Yang said, quickly taking his hand. "I promised myself I'd get you home safe. And I'm not failing me now."

He sighed. "Yes. I will be less careless in the future."

"Thank you…"

"…Uh, Yang… You can let go now."

She looked down at her hand and quickly pulled away. "Oh. Sorry. Got kinda… you know."

"I understand. Anyways… sorry to change the subject, but I had been thinking."

"Yeah? What about?"

"The relationship shared by you and your sister. It's rather heartwarming."

Yang blushed. "Well, we've always been really close, she and I. For half of my childhood, I thought we had the same mom, and… I guess I've always treated her like my full sister. Especially since her mother…" Her face darkened.

Kiku looked to her with concern. "…Did she…"

"Yeah… when I was about seven. That was… that was not a fun day. For either of us."

"Ah… death is something rather hard for me. I'll never meet it, or at least, not for a very, very long time, but I have seen it countless times."

She smiled sadly. "Always helps to have someone with you, I guess." Kiku could tell that bittersweet memories were flashing behind her eyes.

"My relationships with my… 'siblings' are not as well as yours, I'm afraid."

"I'm sorry to hear that," she sighed.

"Well, it's sort of my fault…" he yawned.

Yang chuckled dryly. "Guessing that's a story for another night."

Kiku nodded. "Yes, yes. It's getting late."

"And we have another big day of travel ahead of us."

"I suppose we should get to sleep. Should I take the first shift again?"

"I guess so," she yawned, rolling herself over.

"Fine by me." He observed his surroundings, protectively.

Yang sighed. "Does it hurt?"

Kiku looked to her. "What hurts?"

"Getting your foot cut off. Or killed, or anything."

"Ah. It hurts just the same. But… it sort of lessens after a while, after you've experienced it a lot. Kind of a grown tolerance."

Yang hummed, and began to fall asleep.


	13. British Preoccupation

Ruby closed her eyes in thought, before at last opening them. "No, no, yes, no, no one's told me, yes, and where did you get _that_ idea?! _Hell_ no."

"I had a feeling." Alfred leaned back in his chair. "That answers a few things."

"Yeah… I don't know where people get that idea…"

He shrugged. "It's humanity. It's unpredictable. And it comes to strange conclusions."

She laughed, half amused, half bewildered. "Humanity has _very_ strange notions about familial relations, I'll tell you that right now."

He chuckled in response. "Yeah, sometimes I wonder what goes through some people's heads…"

Suddenly, both heard the doorbell ring.

"I got it!" Alfred jumped up and sprinted to the front door, and opened it.

Ruby could see, standing there, a blonde-haired green-eyed man with rather thick eyebrows, with a stern expression.

"Well. I'm here. Took me about a day, but I'm here." the man grumbled.

"Arthur! Good to have you here! Come in, come in." Alfred moved to the side, and the guest walked in, then looked curiously at Ruby.

"Are you the girl Am- …Alfred's been blabbing on about?"

Ruby perked up. "Yep, that's me. Ruby Rose."

Arthur put his hand out, bowing a bit. "Arthur Kirkland. I'm Alfred's… well, a friend of sorts."

She took his hand, shaking it eagerly. "So you're the guy, huh?"

"Well, I assume so. He has been talking about me, yes?"

Ruby gave a somber smile. "He says you're the one who can get me home."

Arthur looked at Alfred, then back to her. "Yes, well, I can. It will be rather difficult, but I can."

"Thank you so much. Not like I don't like it here, but…"

"I understand. You miss your family and friends. I can't blame you."

"I'm…" She stood up. "I'm counting on you, Mr. Kirkland."

Arthur looked concerned, but then his expression became stern. "I won't let you down."

Ruby smiled.

"Now, do you know how she got here?" Arthur turned to Alfred, who shrugged and shook his head in return.

"Nah, dude. Just found her on the street."

Arthur sighed and looked to Ruby. "Do you, then? Any ideas, any leads?"

"Um…" She rubbed the back of her head, and tugged at her cloak. "I have a cape. Does that count as anything?"

Arthur frowned, rather unamused. "No, no it doesn't. I may need to think on this…" He walked into the living room, sat on the couch, and pulled out a book, which he started to flip through.

Ruby went over to Alfred. "You guys have a male _Weiss_ , too?"

Alfred sighed. "Yeah. He's _reeeal_ sour."

"At least _she_ loosened up after a couple months…"

Alfred pat her back. "Hey, give him some time. He cares in his own way. He just takes some time to warm up to people."

Ruby looked concerned. "He'll help us, right? Even though he just met me?"

Alfred nodded. "Yeah, he'll help us. Me and him have a long history. I don't really know how his… magic works, but I think he's your best shot."

Her eyes went wide. "You guys have _magic_ here? Like, real magic?"

"Well, I wouldn't say-"

"Yes, it's real magic!" Arthur interrupted, yelling from the couch. "He just doesn't think it's real! Like the others…"

Ruby sped over to the couch to join him. "Oh my God, you know _actual_ _magic_!"

Arthur smiled. "Yes, I do. I'm a bit rusty with some of it, but yes, it _is_ actual magic. I'm glad you are interested. I've done quite a few spells in my time, enough to know some by heart."

"Wow… What can you… you know, do?"

"Mostly summon things," Arthur flipped through the book. "I can also do some illusions, elemental magic, teleportation, and whatnot."

She turned back to the kitchen. "Alfred, your friend is _awesome_!"

"See, I told you he'd warm up to you," Alfred called back.

Arthur chuckled. "You really think so-" He turned his head to supposedly nothing. "Now, don't say that, I have plenty of experience." He shook his head and turned back to her.

Ruby blinked once. "Who, uh… Who were you…"

"His imaginary friends." Alfred walked back into the living room.

She looked to Alfred, then Arthur. "Your… Your what?"

"I told you, they're not imaginary!" Arthur snapped. "You just can't see them, only magicians can!"

She stifled a laugh. "Okay… maybe you're not entirely like Weiss."

"Just make her a little more loony and bam! You've got Arthur." Alfred laughed. Arthur looked angered.

Ruby looked between the two of them. 'Maybe I could get used to this for a bit…' she thought.


	14. All About the Team

Two Days Later…

* * *

Bumblebee came to a stop off the side of the main road.

"It seems endless…" Kiku groaned.

Yang sighed, climbing off the motorcycle. "Yep. But we'll make it. I promise you we will make it."

Kiku slumped off, rather exhausted. "I hope so. I feel like we haven't gone anywhere…"

"Well, we knew going into this that it wasn't exactly gonna be a road trip."

"Yes, but… Is your world _this_ unpopulated? I feel like we might as well be going through the desert…"

She sighed. "It's not unpopulated, just… there's a lot of places where people would rather not live permanently, on account of the Grimm. We're in one of them right now…"

"I can see that." He got up off the ground. "I guess I'm just not used to this. Where I live, it's absolutely _flooded_ with people. At this point, we're running out of space."

Yang laughed. "I can't imagine."

"Anyways, I'd rather speak about something else… well, you've heard a bit about me. May I ask to hear a bit more about you?"

She turned to him. "What do you want to know?"

"Tell me more about this… school of yours. I'm rather intrigued."

Yang looked thoughtful for a moment. "Well, the way it works is, after the initiation, all the students, myself included, are divided into teams of 4."

"Teams, hm? What team are you in?"

"RWBY."

"...er, I didn't mean your sister, I meant your team."

"Uh… Oh, wait, no, I mean the team is named 'RWBY.'"

Kiku laughed once. "Is it really? Is that a coincidence?"

She shrugged. "Eh, probably. But anyway, it's actually an acronym. Of Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang, me."

"So, those are your teammates?"

"Yep."

Kiku sat down, looking at her with curiosity. "So, I know you, of course, and you told me about Ruby… what are the other two like?"

Yang leaned against the motorcycle. "Well, if you wanna get technical, only one of them's my partner."

His eyes narrowed. "What do you mean? Who is it?"

"Blake. Belladonna. The rule was, first person you make eye contact with after landing is your partner for the next four years. And for me, that was her…"

"Blake, huh? What's she like?"

She laughed. "Well, she's definitely the quiet one. Mostly keeps to herself, loves books, and a lot of people think she's a bit out there. Oh, and black hair."

Kiku felt something stir in his mind… like he had heard this description before…

"But she's really kind once she warms up to someone. I'd go so far as to say sweet."

He looked to her, somewhat taken aback. "…Huh. Sounds like a relatable person."

"And _then there's Weiss_ …"

"What's _she_ like."

"Oh, Weiss Schnee… Where do I even be _gin_ …"

"Well… when'd you meet her?" He suggested.

"First day. She was yelling at my sister for almost blowing them both up."

"…What."

"It's a long story. Ruby got covered in Burn Dust, then sneezed, and everything exploded. Now Jaune calls her Crater Face."

"Heh… sounds like a rough first day. I assume Jaune is another one of your classmates."

"Yeah. But back to Weiss… she'd hate me for calling her this, but she's _such_ an ice queen."

"Rather cold?"

"Somewhat. I guess that comes with a sheltered upbringing…"

Kiku tilted his head. "What do you mean?"

"Well, she also happens to be the heiress of the largest producer of Dust in Remnant."

"Ah. So, there's a reason why you must show such tolerance."

"No one's as they seem, I guess…"

"I agree. That applies to everyone, in my opinion."

"Yeah… Any other questions?"

"Well, yes… do you like your team?"

"Of course. You don't spent about a year in a dorm with three other people without learning to like them."

Kiku smiled warmly. "You do have a point."

Yang smiled back.

"Is there anyone else at your school you want to mention? Friends?"

"Well, there's team JNPR."

"Are _all_ your team names color-themed?" he snickered.

"Well, most of them."

"Anyways, who are _they_?"

"Well, there's a world-class fighter, a guy who's basically a ninja, this one girl who can bench five of herself, and… well, Jaune."

Kiku chuckled. "I assume he's rather… inexperienced?"

Yang laughed in turn. "Looking at that kid, you'd think he had no training at _all_."

"But he _does_ try, right? He doesn't just run away?" Thoughts of a certain cowardly Italian appeared in his head.

"Well, sure. He's determined as all hell. And he's learning. For sure, he's learning. Thanks to Pyrrha, mostly."

"Well, I do hope he does improve."

"Anyway, going down that team, then there's Nora. Oh, my god, Nora…"

"Which one is she? Of those you listed."

"The bencher. She's hyper, powerful, and a little crazy. Like a turbocharged, slightly curvier Ruby."

"Sounds like quite a handful…" He smiled.

"Fortunately, I don't have to deal with her. That falls to Ren."

"And he is?"

"The basic ninja. That guy's just cool…"

"Seems like it."

"No one has any idea what his Semblance is, but he holds his own… My god, he does…"

Now Kiku looked sort of interested. "You seem like you admire him somewhat. Do you?"

"I respect him. Almost as much as I do Pyrrha."

"I assume she's the world-class fighter."

"Four time champion. Basically a celebrity. But she's _powerful_. I've seen her do all kinds of crazy things."

"Crazy things, huh?"

Yang began to count on her fingers. "Tornado of soda cans, winning a 4-to-1 fight in about two minutes, pulling off a scarlet number like… My god…"

"Huh? Uh… what was that?"

"Food fights here are nothing like they are on Earth, I assume."

"I assume not. I've never really _seen_ one, to be honest. Rather messy."

She laughed. "You should have been there…"

"It must've been quite a sight."

"Don't I know it… But yeah. Those are my friends."

"Sounds like they are a rather unique bunch."

"We're actually the most reserved people on campus…"

"Really? Then I can only imagine-"

Yang started laughing uproariously. "I got you! I _so_ got you! Everyone else pretty much blends into each other. RWBY and JNPR stand out _so much_."

"O-Oh." Kiku blushed in embarrassment. "Y… You got me."

"I… I don't blame you for believing that."

"Ah, I should've known. With the descriptions you gave, they should be the highest on the… erm… 'crazy scale.'"

"Maybe not Ren, but… yeah."

He chuckled to himself, still a tad bit embarrassed.


	15. A Death in the Family

Yang stood in a clearing, holding a map. "Okay… we started here, then came through… or was it… no, we were _there_ , right? Kiku, were we… no, wait, it…"

Kiku sighed angrily. "We're lost, aren't we."

"We are _not_ lost! Wait, unless…" She traced a finger over the map, before throwing it in anger. " _Yep! We're straight up lost!_ "

He groaned. "Figured."

"It's not _my_ fault they make these maps so hard to follow!" She picks it back up. "Look at this! _Look at this_! Who draws fields and mountains at a different scale? _Honestly_!"

" _GAH!_ " Kiku threw his arms up in the air, and trudged a few paces away.

Yang threw herself onto her motorcycle in frustration. " _I hate this so much_ …"

Kiku did not speak, only sat in silence.

Yang suddenly rose from the bike. "Kiku… I know we're both frustrated right now, but-"

He turned his head around. "Huh?"

Her face was one of mild panic. "We… have… to leave… again…"

"What is it now," Kiku growled. "Another Grimm? Do I have to lose a limb again!?"

"Not if we-"

At that moment, a giant yellow stinger burst out of the trees, sticking into the dirt only a few feet from Kiku. As it retracted, a giant scorpion smashed through the treeline, with a dark white shell and a shadowy underbelly.

"Oh _crap_!" yelled Yang, running to get in front of Kiku. " _Death Stalker_!"

"A giant _scorpion_?!" he yelled in fear.

Yang's foot caught on a root, and she tumbled to the ground. "Kiku, run!" she cried, trying to get up. " _RUN!_ "

Kiku reached for his pipe, feeling a bit courageous. "Can't we fight it?!"

"Not without your Aura, you ca-"

She was interrupted by another thrust from the massive creature's stinger. A thrust that went straight through Kiku's torso.

"Ghk… I… I see that now…" he coughed out, and collapsed to the ground.

Yang leapt at the Death Stalker, gauntlets blazing, eyes a vibrant crimson. " _NO!_ " She landed an uppercut to the Grimm's head, and sent a volley of Dust rounds to its claws as it toppled onto its back, then jumped past the stinger as it grazed her arm, slamming her fists on the Death Stalker's underbelly, as it exploded into shadowy fog.

As she panted into a more relaxed state, she saw Kiku on the ground, wheezing in pain, and rushed over to him.

"Kiku… Kiku, are you okay?" She knelt by his side, attempting to put pressure on his wound.

"I… In terms of wounds… no, I'm not…" he rasped through short breaths, coughing up blood. "But… I… I can come back from this…"

She didn't seem to hear him, choking out sobs. "No… No, you have to get home… _You're not gonna die here!_ " Kiku tried to get up using one arm, but fell back down, Yang catching him mid-fall. "No… Nonono…"

"I-It… It will be alright, Yang. I… I'm going to be… okay…" He gasped one more time, before slipping into death.

Yang's eyes filled with tears she didn't quite understand. "I'm not…" She buried her head into the unwounded part of his chest, almost sobbing.

A few minutes passed, and her sobbing was interrupted by a heartbeat. Her eyes opened, and she looked to his face, hopefully, but disbelievingly.

Kiku's eyes opened, and he took a deep breath. "Ah… I didn't know it was going to be _that_ bad."

Yang gasped in relief. "You're… You're okay…"

Kiku nodded, and looked at his wounds, now nearly completely healed. "I told you I would be."

Yang gave a relieved laugh. "Right. Sorry. Heat of the moment, kinda forgot you were…"

"Immune to death?"

"Yeah. That."

It didn't take long for Kiku to notice something. "Uh… Yang, you're… You're still holding me."

Her face went a bit red, and she gently dropped him. "Oh! S-Sorry."

"No, no, don't be. I appreciate your concern." He looked around. "So… the danger is dealt with, right? I'd rather not go through that again."

She laughed. "Me too. Looks like it's getting a bit late. Guess we'll find our way in the morning."

Kiku sighed and got up. "I agree. This was… quite an end to the day, in my opinion."

Yang began to unpack the motorcycle. "Yeah… Not to sound insensitive, but I'm kinda lucky it went for you first…"

"Yes, unlike me, you're a bit more… vulnerable. No offense."

She smirked. "None taken at all. But here's the deal: There's a lot worse things than a chest hole. So tomorrow, I'm unlocking your Aura."

He looked to her. "Worse than a chest hole? Huh… but are you sure that can be done? After all, I'm not from this world."

"It can be done to any living creature. Theoretically, anyway."

"I'd… well, in all honesty, I'd like to see you succeed, but…" He sighed. "You know what, it doesn't matter. I'm all for it."

Yang smiled. "Great."

"Oh, and Yang?"

"Hm?" she replied, turning her head back to him.

"Thank you for finishing off that monster. It sort of gave me some time to, well, at least _try_ to heal."

She smiled. "It was the least I could do, after I saw it kill you in cold blood."

He smiled back. "Now, I suggest we get some rest. With what you have planned tomorrow, we're going to need it."

"You're not wrong about that, hon," she smirked, tossing Kiku his bedroll. "We're doing this early morning. It's gonna be one hell of a pick-me-up."

"Oh boy…" He rolled out the bedroll… pausing a moment to ponder her use of "hon."


	16. An Evening with the Joneses

"You guys almost done in there?" called Ruby from the dining room. "My stomach's set to digest _itself_!"

"I know that feel, sis!" Alfred called back. "It's almost done, just keeping Arthur from setting the house on fire again!"

"That wasn't even that big of a fire!" Arthur protested, haphazardly sauteeing the potatoes. "It only covered half the kitchen!"

"A fire's a fire, dude."

"Ugh! Fine, so I caused a small fire. We put it out."

"It cost me so much money to replace this countertop! You don't get counters like this at any old hardware store!"

Ruby was doubling over on the table with laughter at their hilarious banter.

Soon after that, Alfred walked out carrying a few plates.

"I hope you're hungry, cuz I made a _lot_ ," he grinned.

Her eyes went wide with hunger at all the food.

"I prepared the baked potatoes." Arthur chimed in, feeling rather proud.

"If he burnt them, just tell me and I'll get you some potato salad," Alfred whispered.

"I heard that, you tosspot!"

"I know that very well, my bushy-browed-buddy."

"You're starting to get on my nerves."

"Just now? Huh! New record!"

Ruby had already begun to eat, paying them no mind. It felt like she hadn't eaten in days.

"And about your wei-" Arthur looked to Ruby, trailing off. "Dear lord, she's like a smaller, girlier you."

"I know, right?" Alfred laughed, sitting down at the table. "Impressive, huh!"

Arthur sighed, and sat down. "You're going to get hiccups at that rate."

Ruby took a brief pause in the middle of a chicken breast. "I have eaten _way_ faster than this, Mr. Kirkland. Don't worry."

"And be careful, you don't want to choke."

"Whoo, man, like that one time during that burger-eating contest-"

"Not at the table, Alfred."

"Sorry."

* * *

A few hours later, Ruby was lying in bed, sipping from a glass of ice water.

"Alfred? Is *hic* Mr. Kirkland usually *hic* this right about *hic* everything?"

Alfred snickered. "Nope. He was just lucky this time. He tends to be wrong about a lot of things, like this one time he tried to get back at me for something by replacing my seat at a meeting with a cursed chair, but someone else sat in it, and broke it."

Ruby laughed through slowly receding hiccups. "Sound like quite a story. I bet…" She yawned. "I bet that…" She yawned again, louder. "Oh, here comes the food coma…"

Alfred put his hands on his cheeks in a jokingly scared fashion. "Oh no! Don't leave us! Not now!"

She laughed. "Relax, Alfred, I'm just… I'm just kinda tired…"

He nodded sympathetically. "Yeah, I get that. After a good meal, sometimes I get tired, too. Once fell asleep on the couch."

She pulled up the covers to her shoulders. "Cool…"

Alfred sat on the side of the bed. "So, you good? Don't need anything?"

Ruby sighed. "Actually, Alfred… could you bring up plush me?"

"Oh, okay! I'll be right back." He ran off to go get it, soon returning with it. "Didn't know you were so eager to hug yourself."

She took the stuffed toy, tucking it into her arm. "Thanks. Alfred… one last thing."

"Yeah? Whatcha need?"

"I don't know if it's the emotional stuff I'm going through, or this nostalgic feeling I'm getting, or maybe I just want to set up a cute scene for the readers, but…" She sighed, and looked up at him with eyes watery from yawning. "I kinda want to feel like a kid again tonight. If only so everything seems a bit simpler. Will you sing me a lullaby?"

"A lullaby, huh? Hmm.." He put a hand on his chin. "Alright, I'll sing you something. May be a bit rusty…"

"Don't care," Ruby mumbled.

Alfred smiled, cleared his throat, and for the first time since Ruby came to Earth, spoke in a soft tone. No… he sang.

" _When the cold of Winter comes_

 _Starless night will cover day_

 _In the veiling of the sun_

 _We will walk in bitter rain_ "

Ruby yawned, nestling deeper into the bed.

" _But in dreams_

 _I still hear your name_

 _And in dreams_

 _We will meet again_ "

She smiled, as a happy tear rolled down her cheek.

" _When the seas and mountains fall_

 _And we come to end of days_

 _In the dark I hear a call_

 _Calling me there_

 _I will go there_

 _And back again_ "

By the time Alfred finished the song, Ruby had almost fallen asleep. He slowly leaned down, planting a gentle kiss on her forehead. "Goodnight, Ruby," he whispered, and went to the door.

"Goodnight, dad…" she mumbled, and slipped into sleep.

* * *

Alfred slowly closed the door behind him, a smile all over his face.

"Mind telling me what the hell _that_ was about?" Arthur quietly snapped from behind him.

He jumped. "Ah-! What was _what_ about?"

"You kissed that girl on her bloody _forehead_. Why?"

"I… I dunno," he stammered. "I felt kinda like a dad. That's something dads do. Right?"

Arthur sighed. "I suppose. But listen to me now, Alfred. That _will_ be the last time you kiss her without her consent, understand?"

"Fine, _pops_ ," he grumbled.

"Do _not_ talk to me that way, young country! Go to your room _now_!"

"I'm not your colony, you can't tell me what to do!"

"Any longer, and I _will_ raise my voice, Ruby _will_ wake up, and it will be _your_. _Fault_. Bed. _Now_."

Alfred was silent for a second. "Alright, you got me cornered. I'm going, I'm going. Enjoy the guest room, Eng."

They walked their separate ways, before Arthur turned back down the hall for a moment. "Alfred."

Alfred turned to face him. "Yeah?"

"For what it's worth… If that was any indication, you'll make a brilliant father." Arthur turned and walked down the stairs.

Alfred smiled warmly. "Thanks, dad."


	17. And By My Shoulder, Protect Thee

Kiku yawned, eyes blinking not in sync. "The sun is barely even rising. I didn't know you meant _this_ early."

Yang nudged him on the shoulder. "You died yesterday. I'm not taking any more chances with you. Come on. Up up."

"Jus… a few more seconds…"

She grabbed his collar, hoisting him to his feet. "During which time, a King Taijitu could devour us both. Come on, we are _doing this_."

"Okay, okay… whazza… whazza King ta-mojito…"

"Giant double-ended snake. And _not_ the fun kind."

"…cool… that's cool…" He almost fell over, with Yang supporting him. "I… I need coffee… so… tired…"

"Not right now you don't. Besides, don't you want to find out what your Semblance is?"

"Right… of course I do."

"This is a simple process, for you anyway. All you need to do is stand up straight…"

"Okay…" He did as told.

"Take a deep breath…"

He inhaled deeply through the nose, and exhaled.

"And relax. Close your eyes. Clear your mind. It's like meditation, but… well, you'll see."

"Ah. Okay, that I can do…" He closed his eyes.

He felt Yang put her hand to his temple. She spoke, it seemed, directly to his soul.

" _Though our bond is fresh and your time on this world brief, I shall allow thee to become one with it. To let you grow into what you were always meant to be. By the grace of my emotion and thy will to live, I release your soul, and by my shoulder, protect thee._ "

Kiku could feel his body filling with raw energy, fueled by his soul. He was becoming stronger, more aware. He was… _empowered_.

He opened his eyes wide, almost gasping.

Yang stepped back, her face flushed. "Wow… They always told me it'd be… but that was… _Wow_ …"

"I… I assume it worked. I feel a bit… _different._ "

"As in… 'not like it should be' different… or… 'this is the new me' different?"

"It's like the latter."

"Cool…" Yang panted. "I think that's… what's supposed to happen."

"Oh. Good. I assumed that as well." He nodded. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I just… _wow_ , your Aura's big…"

"Huh?"

"It's like… Like… well, forget what it's like. Point is, some Aura reserves are bigger than others. And yours is… enormous."

Kiku blushed darkly. "Well… That's good, right?"

"Oh, it's… it's beyond good… God, what a first…" She almost collapsed.

"So, this'll allow me to take more in terms of hits?"

"A lot more. _SO_ much more."

"Then it will help me in the long run. Thank you." He smiled.

She smiled back. "Thank _you_ , Kiku. I… I always wanted to do that. It's supposed to be one of the biggest things you can do with someone. Real symbolic of trust…"

Kiku looked away for a second, blushing again. "O-Oh. You're, uh, you're welcome, then."

Yang couldn't help but smile at his awkward charm.

"That woke me up, too."

"I figured it would."


	18. A Solemn Vow

An explosion of some sort from downstairs awoke Ruby from her sleep. She gently set the plush her on the bed and raced downstairs to see what it was.

Nothing was there. She was a bit puzzled for a second until she heard it again, still from under.

She looked at what she assumed to be the basement door, as steam rose from under it. She opened it to find a set of stairs, also filled with steam, which she went down.

Arthur growled in frustration, facing away from her. His hair looked a bit charred. On the floor of the basement a star made of a series of squares was drawn with chalk, which seemed to be smoking. Three lit candles sat at different points of the star.

"Blast it…" he grumbled. "Could've chosen better words, there. Ah, sod it all…"

"Everything okay, Mr. Kirkland?" Ruby sleepily asked.

Arthur jumped, and turned around. "O-Oh! Ruby. I'm sorry I woke you up. Just having a little trouble, is all."

"Looks like a bit more than a little…"

"Magic's somewhat hard. You have to draw your symbols right, and pronounce everything correctly. I guess I was a little tired."

She looked down, timidly. "Can… Can I help?"

"Not really, sorry," he panted.

She took a couple steps closer. "Maybe I could just do the incantation? I was in the drama club back at Signal Academy, recitation is kinda my thing."

"I don't think that's a good idea, it's rather dangerous. Slip up and you'll end up setting your eyebrows on fire, or worse. It could blind you."

"Mr. Kirkland… what you're doing is going to help me get back home. I want to help you."

Arthur sighed. "Okay, if you insist, let me find something a bit more simple." He flipped through his spellbook. "I assume you're probably not in the mood for summoning anything." He landed on a certain page. "How about a simple illusion?"

"Okay!" she piped as she took the spellbook, looking excited.

"Now, if said correctly, an illusion of an animal will appear in the pentagram. If said wrong, well, the worst that has happened to me is some of my hair turning brown."

"Okay then. Is it all set up?"

Arthur nodded. "Yes, you're all set." He took a step back.

Ruby cleared her throat and began to read. " _Gadurm vi sular jistrah pakliol!_ "

The pentagram filled with blue smoke, and when it dissipated, there was what seemed to be a corgi.

Ruby gasped. "I did it! I made Zwei!"

Arthur looked impressed. "Wow. Great job! For your first time, that was rather impressive."

"I didn't even know I could make it be whatever I was thinking of!"

"Well, that spell would do that. Is Zwei your dog?"

"Yeah, second in the litter. We think. My dad found him wandering the beach near our home a few years back. We got him fixed up, gave him his shots, named him Zwei, and he's our dog now."

Arthur smiled. "I've had a few pets in my time."

"Any dogs?" Ruby asked, kneeling down as the illusion walked up to her, barking affectionately.

"I had a few corgis. Now I have a cat."

"Really? Huh. Guess that's something we have in common." She tried to pet its head, but the illusion winked out of existence. She looked somewhat crestfallen. "Z… Zwei?"

"Don't forget it's an illusion, Ruby." Arthur walked up to her, putting his hand on her shoulder. "They're rather impermanent."

"Very realistic, too…" Ruby mused, observing the area which it had just been before looking back up at Arthur and standing up. "Thanks for this, Mr. Kirkland."

"You're welcome. If there's anything magic related you'd want to hear about, don't be afraid to ask."

"Sure." She yawned. "I should get back to bed." She turned back to the stairs.

"…Ruby?"

"Yeah?" she responded, turning to face him.

"I… I have a confession to make."

Ruby went back down to him. "What is it?"

"I… I've never done magic to something this scale. Never this grand, and with so much at stake."

"I… I kinda figured." She laughed awkwardly.

"I don't even know if I can do this. And with the amount of magic needed to pull of such a spell, if I messed up I could end up losing almost all of my senses."

Ruby put a hand to his shoulder. "You'll be okay, Mr. Kirkland. And you'll get me home." She pulled him into a soft hug. "I just know it."

"Are you sure? Because time is limited as well…"

She only hugged him tighter. "Stop it with the pessimism. You'll find out what's happening, and you'll get me home. You just have to believe in yourself." She pulled away and looked him in the eyes. "Like _I_ believe in you."

"But… are you sure I can? I'm sort of a joke when it comes to-"

She put a finger to his lips. "You're not a joke to _me_ , Arthur." Before he could retort, she replaced the finger with her own lips in a quick, gentle kiss.

Arthur lightly blushed. "W-What was that for?"

Ruby suddenly snapped to her senses. "Oh! Um… Yang always told me about, uh… a kiss for luck? Is that a thing?"

"I… I think that's only familial." He looked away for a moment.

"Well, not necessarily, I mean, it…" she shook her body in embarrassment before coming back to her senses. "I should get back to bed, yeah? It's what, 1:30?"

"I agree." Arthur began to blow out the candles around the pentagram. "I should get to bed as well."

"Yeah. Yeah."

Eventually, the two made it back to the door to the guest room.

"Thanks again for letting me do that magic stuff. I had a lot of fun."

"You're welcome, luv. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Mr. Kirkland," she yawned, walking into her room, carefully closing the door behind her.

As she shuffled into her covers, one thought enveloped her mind.

'…Did he just call me "love?"'


	19. The First Steps

"So… Yang? If you could make an estimate, uh… How much longer until our next stop?"

"This rate? I'd say sundown. That's when we reach the next town."

"Yes!" Kiku put his hands up in joy, almost falling from the bike.

Yang grabbed one of his wrists, pulling it back around her waist. "Whoa, dial it down there, buddy."

"S-Sorry. Got sort of caught up in the moment. That was foolish of me."

"No big deal. At least I'm here."

He blushed. "Indeed you are."

Yang looked back to smile at him, before looking off to the side a bit… and stopping the bike.

"Kiku," she whispered. "Look down there. At the bottom of the bluff."

Kiku looked down to where she said. A couple Beowolves, completely unawares.

"About ready to put that new Aura to the test?"

"…Are you that confident in me?"

"You held your own against a stronger, mutated one of those without your Aura or a foot. Imagine what you could do now… to them."

Kiku took his pipe out of its makeshift bark sheath. "Okay. But I don't want to just charge in."

"Stealth's always an option. If you want to get the drop on them."

He looked around, then spotted a certain tree that would provide enough for a surprise attack from above.

"That."

"Good luck, ba- …buddy," she smirked, stepping off the motorcycle.

Kiku got up, stretched a bit, then quickly climbed up the tree, walking carefully out onto an outstretched branch, and looked down at the beasts below.

He gripped his pipe, thought out a strategy, and dove down, preparing to swing down on the head of one of the monsters.

One of the Grimm looked up, and roared in what sounded like a scream.

The pipe slammed straight down onto its victim's head with a satisfying _crack_. The second Grimm turned, growled, and charged.

With a face of steely determination, Kiku lept right at it, and swung at its mouth. The Beowolf spun in midair, slamming on its side, before leaping to its feet and swiping at him. Kiku blocked with the pipe, and then kicked at it while blocking.

The Beowolf bit at him, missing by an inch, and got a mouthful of pipe again. Kiku violently swung the pipe out of its mouth, snapping its neck as it melted into a familiar black smoke.

He felt much more confident after that. "Who wants some!?" '...why did I say that.'

Yang leapt down as the smoke dissipated. "Well _done_ , Kiku! Your very first Grimm kill with Aura! Well done!"

"Well, it felt a bit easier this time. I didn't lose any limbs, either." He looked at his pipe.

"I think that pipe is officially ready to be given a name."

"A name for _this_? Even though it's technically-"

Yang grabbed one end of the pipe. "It's not technically anything. You use it like a weapon. You treat it like a weapon. It's your weapon. Honor it. Give it a name."

"Okay." He looked at it, thinking. "Let me see…"

"It should be… I don't know, there's no real guidelines. Just… think about what that pipe means to you. How it reflects you. You'll find the answer."

"Hmm…" He closed his eyes. "Tetsu?"

"That mean anything in Jah-pan-ees?"

"It means 'iron.' It may not be made of it, but its grayish color gave me the idea."

"I like the sound of that. 'Tetsu.' Gives it a real…" She punched the air. "Edge. ' _Tet_ su.' Yeah." She gave him a fond-ish sideways glance. "I'm starting to like this language of yours."

He smiled. "You do? Well, I'm glad. It's rather complicated, though. Sentence structure works in a different order."

"You may have to teach me sometime…"

"I'd be happy to."


	20. Sovereign State of Mind

Ruby needed new clothes.

Alfred had set up a mini-dressing room in the guest room by placing a folding screen in front of the closet, allowing him and Arthur to observe the ensembles she selected.

"So… There's how many countries again?" she asked, slipping into a pair of jeans.

"Well…" Alfred thought to himself. "About 196. I think Arthur's little bro may cou-"

"SHHHH!" Arthur hissed, then leaned to him. "That is none of her concern. That is not important to this."

"Oh, come on! She won't even be staying for too long, I wanna tell her!"

Ruby peeked from behind the folding screen. "Tell me what?"

"Nothing," Arthur urged.

She shrugged, and stepped out from behind the screen. "Okay, how about this one?"

Alfred put his hands out, like a frame, and then gave her a thumbs up. "I like that one better than the last."

"Seems too vibrant to me." Arthur commented.

" _Pleeease let me tell her what we are, pleeeeeaseeee?_ "

"If it's too flashy, I was looking at this hoodie…" Ruby offered, pulling out a hanger with the hoodie on it. Black, with white stripes running down the arms.

Arthur nodded. "That's better." he then turned to Alfred. "And no, it's forbidden."

Alfred looked disappointed for a moment, but then quickly perked up. "Wait, I'm an adult, I don't have to ask for your permission for anything!"

"Alfred, don't-"

"What is he-"

"Hey, Ruby! I'm the United States of America! And immortal, so is Arthur!" Alfred yelled to Ruby, excited.

She blinked. "…Huh?"

"Yeah! …Oh wait, you probably don't understand a word of what I'm saying."

Ruby scratched the back of her head. "Well… you're _this_ country, which is like a kingdom but not really. Like, this country that we're in right now. But… you live here?"

"Yeah, so you do kinda get it. Well, I'm not the country _itself,_ more like a personification of its people. The land may have something to do with it, too, but I'm not sure."

"Huh." She looked down, then back at him. "Yeah, you'll have to forgive me if I didn't follow a lot of that."

"I get that. It's sorta hard for me to wrap my head around myself. But you kinda learn to accept that that's just a thing in your life now."

She giggled. "I guess so."

He chuckled in return, then pulled Arthur up to him. "Arthur's also a nation. And a close relative."

Ruby blushed. "I _thought_ you guys were a little… 'close.'"

They looked at each other for a second, then looked away. "Yeah, yeah, but that doesn't mean we get along perfectly."

"So I've seen…"

"So, we look sorta enough to count as brothers, but in reality, he's sorta my dad. And he's MUCH older."

"How, uh… how much older we talking?"

"Well… What'd you say, Arthur?"

"Well, given that he's technically about, I'd say, since you were alive as a mass of colonies… 287, and I'd be about 951."

"Wow…" Ruby whispered.

"Though we're physically much, _much_ younger," Alfred continued. "Since 287 isn't actually so much compared to others, I'm physically about 19."

"And I'm about 23," added Arthur. "Physically, anyway."

"I'm 15. Physically, biologically, chronologically, and for the most part mentally _and_ emotionally."

"Well, _that's_ expected. If you weren't, I'd be surprised, and maybe worried."

Ruby quickly stepped behind the screen, coming back out with the hoodie on. "So anyway, how about this one?"

Alfred nodded, grinning. "That's a ten-out-of-ten in my book. How about you, Art?"

Arthur smiled. "That suits you better, in my opinion."

She blushed slightly at the complement. "Thanks, guys."

"Anytime, kid!"

"You're welcome."


	21. A Slight Detour

_Author's Note: To anyone still holding out, thank you._

"We should be getting about halfway to the Rift by now!" Yang shouted over the revving motorbike.

Kiku gave a sigh of relief. "Yes, this journey is halfway done. Thank goodness."

"Not that I haven't enjoyed your company, Kiku, but it's been fUCKING HELL WHAT THE-" She powerslid Bumblebee to a standstill, right at the edge of a massive canyon. "There was supposed to be a bridge here! What happened?!"

Kiku leaned over to look down into the canyon. "I assume it's down there now."

Yang sighed, aggravated. "It's a four day hike around this canyon, according to the map. Assuming we don't run into trouble, the quickest we can get to the rift now is three weeks."

"Th-Th… Three weeks. Okay, so we were given a month, how much has passed?"

"A bit less than a week…" She sighed again. "I-I can't just leave Bumblebee here."

"Can't we walk it with us?" he suggested. "It shouldn't be too rough of a terrain to the point where we don't have to do that."

"That's another thing, Kiku. She's almost run herself dry. Multiple consecutive days of driving with no refuel will do that."

"I see…" Kiku looked down with a grave expression. "We have reached quite a dilemma. I'd go so far as to call it a dead end."

Yang took out her Scroll, dialing a saved number. "Just a slight detour…" She brought it up to her ear. "Professor? I'm sorry to ask such a big favor of you, but for the sake of two universes, I've been forced to abandon my motorcycle. Can I ask to have it extracted and brought back to Beacon? …Yes. …Yes. …That's very generous, Sir. Thank you." She hung up and put it back.

"Well, we won't need to worry about the bike," she chirped, hopping off.

Kiku followed. "That's good. I'll carry the supplies for you."

"That's… very kind. Thank you."

He slowly nodded and smiled, beginning to pick up the bundled supplies. "So, I suppose you'll lead?"

"Well, I do have the map." She unfolded it. "Alright, looks like we're heading north." She started walking.

"Alright. Let's be off." He followed closely behind her.


	22. A Problem and a Solution

Ruby and Alfred were in the living room, trying to get her knowledge of Earth refined, when Arthur walked in holding a rather old-looking book. "I have some rather good news."

Ruby jumped from her seat, excitedly. "What?"

"I found out how you got here, and how to get you back home." He showed a page of his book. "See, the description matches our scenario quite well."

She looked. "'The Displaced shall appear a moon before…'" She gasped. "Complete destruction of _what_?!"

"This world as it is. The book addresses such a cataclysm as 'The Undoing.' It's because it is supposedly the reset of this world. Humanity _may_ come back, but, you know, in a few billion years or so. Fortunately, there _is_ a way to prevent it. If both the Displaced find their way to the 'Rift,' they will be returned to their own worlds, and the Undoing is… undone."

"So, I'm one of the two 'Displaced?' Then, who's the other?"

"Kiku," Alfred spoke in a grim tone. "He's stuck in your world. And he won't survive if all of his people die. They're his lifeline."

Ruby stood up. "Then it looks like we need to find this Rift and save the universe! …And hope your friend can do the same."

Alfred nodded. "Pretty much. So, do we have any leads?"

Arthur shook his head. "Sadly, no. I already checked around here, and there's no disturbances. We're sort of stuck."

"We… We should just find someone who's not stuck. Or can get us _un_ stuck. You know?"

Arthur snapped his fingers. "Oh! Alfred, you usually have tech that could find such anomalies, right? Maybe we could use that."

Alfred sighed. "Maybe so, but I can't use that stuff. Boss forbid it awhile ago." He looked a bit irritated at his second statement. "We're going to have to find someone else."

"Someone with a space program near as good as yours," Arthur offered.

"Hm… wait."

"What is it?"

Alfred's face went dark. "… _Him_."

"Oh, no," Arthur groaned. "Well, we must do what we must, and if talking to him is part of it, then so be it."

Ruby smiled. "You guys can do this. I know it." She turned to Alfred. "And… I don't think you need to be worried about your friend anymore."

"Huh? What makes you say that?"

"My world's kinda dangerous… but there's a lot of people who I know would be glad to help him." She smiled. "He'll be okay, right?"


	23. Wrong

One Day Later

Yang checked the map again. "We're in luck. There's another bridge a couple miles this way. With a town on this side to boot!"

"Yes! This makes things much easier. And much, much more hopeful."

"Faster, too. I still can't believe our…" Her face blanched as she looked ahead. "Luck."

Kiku looked ahead, internally screaming as he saw a pillar of smoke in the distance. "...Permission to curse?"

* * *

When they arrived at the town, there really wasn't much left to arrive at. Building that weren't caved in or burned to the ground were abandoned, windows smashed and in some cases, containing massive holes.

"Wha… What happened here?!" Kiku looked around, barely believing what he was seeing.

"Looks like the work of bandits," Yang growled, scanning the area.

"It looks like they did a pretty good job destroying everything. Do you think anyone's still here?"

"Doubtful. This place has been long since abandoned. Even on the map, printed years ago, it says 'tourists beware of bandits.'"

"Eh? But I thought you sa…" He sighed. "So it was all a ruse. Just wishful thinking."

"Well, the bridge is still up, at least," she sighed.

"Yes, we still have that, at least. We should get going quickly." He checked his surroundings. "In case we're not alone."

"We're alone, Kiku. Trust me, we…" Her face quickly relaxed, and she slumped to the ground.

Kiku looked to her with shock. "Y..Yang?! Are you okay-" He froze when he noticed a dart in her neck. "Oh no."

Suddenly, he felt a sharp sting in his neck… and everything started to fade…

* * *

When Kiku could hear again, he heard two distinct voices, one female, one male with a French accent for some reason.

"Are they awake yet? Did you _kill_ them?"

"My stun dosages are an exact science. I never, never… never overshoot."

"They're usually awake by now, Noire."

"I wanted to take no chances with the Displaced. He is, how you said… target number one, after all."

"I understand, but what about the girl? Did you do the same?"

"Commander Iris, her Aura is very strong. If she was not _slightly_ overdosed, she could be the doom of us all."

Iris harrumphed. Kiku couldn't hear what she whispered. He heard "doesn't deserve" and that was all.

"Oh, _mon commandant_ , how can you possibly disgrace her like that? Look at her." The voice lowered in tone. "How could such _un merveilleux ange_ deserve any less than the best?" Perhaps it thought itself charming, but the delivery was… sickening.

"Look at him. He looks unfit for the likes of her. And she's too good for the likes of him. They don't match in any way."

Noire snickered. "'Too good,' eh, Iris? Perhaps, after we have sealed the Displaced here… you could take charge of her for a… while."

"Hm. Well, I'll have to consider your offer, Noire. But there's still work to be done. And besides. We don't know what Glaze wants with them."

Kiku groaned, slowly opening his eyes.

"Well, looks like I did _not_ kill you after all, _Déplacé_."

"I did not… like… what you two were discussing."

He looked up at his captors. One was wearing leather armor and carrying what looked like a flute, but what Kiku assumed was also a blowgun. The other wore a black cloak and matching clothing, fit with chain mail poking out from underneath.

The one clad in leather armor, Noire, laughed again. "And it looks like the blonde is already spoken for. That must sting a little, _commandant_."

The one wearing a cloak, Iris, scoffed at Noire, then smirked at Kiku. "It's rather funny to watch you squirm, helpless."

Kiku tried to get up, but noticed he was chained tightly to something. "Wh-Where is she?!"

"Right behind you. But obviously you can't see that."

"We're keeping you two together until our leader has spoken to you."

Kiku was distracted trying to look behind himself to no avail. "I don't understand, what do you have against me?"

"Nothing whatsoever," boomed a voice from beyond the room. Iris and Noire kneeled upon hearing this. A door swung open, and in walked a mysterious figure, cloaked as well, with his hood up, hiding all of his face except for one foggy eye. "In fact… your presence here will ensure our goals are met."

"What do you mean?!" Kiku's expression was a mix of anger and fear. " _What do you want_?!"

"…The Undoing."

 **To Be Continued…**


	24. Torturous, Second-Rate, Asinine

LAX

/

 _Beep beep beep!_

"Step aside, ma'am, baggage check… again, for the 10th time."

Ruby groaned. She had been trying to get through this checkpoint for a half-hour now. " _Oh, come on!_ "

"What is it _this_ time?" another security guard growled. The line behind her groaned with impatience.

"C'mon! What's taking so long?!"

"My flight leaves in 15 minutes!"

"You've _got_ to be kidding me. _Again_?!"

Alfred sighed wearily from the other side of the checkpoint.

"Who the hell brings those things on a plane unless they're planning to attack it?!"

"Idiot. They should know this."

One of the security guards decided that enough was enough. "We're very sorry for the inconvenience, folks. The situation will be dealt with shortly, and we will do what we can to ensure none of you miss your flights. Thank you for your patience," he called to the crowd, then took Ruby's bin off the conveyor belt. "Miss, you're just going to have to come with me."

Ruby double-taked. "What?" she squeaked.

"Hey, hey. If she's going, we're going." Alfred protested.

"Are you this young lady's guardian?"

"Yep, that's me. Sorta. I can explain this."

Arthur pinched the brow of his nose. "Now _nobody's_ getting to their bloody flight in time…"

"Don't worry, sir. We'll make this as quick as possible. If all goes well, you'll make your flight. We just have to do an individual baggage check."

"Fine… let's go." Alfred sighed.

The three followed the guard as a sigh of relief passed over the crowd.

/

At the security office, the three sat down as the officers put their luggage on a table, then started unzipping and carefully going through them, making sure not to disorganize them while checking for suspicious objects.

Alfred's was clear. Nothing out of the usual.

Arthur's was a bit strange, but still clear.

"What's this?" one of the guards asked, pulling out a short, slender wooden stick.

"It's a wand," Arthur replied.

"...Alrighty then." The guard put it back in the bag.

Then came Ruby's, which had tons of stuff that needed explanation. There were normal stuff as well, but mostly they found multiple Dust rounds. The guard observed one closely, confused.

"What is this?"

Ruby's face went red. "Um… Dust? There's a lot of Dust in there. I've been meaning to get it cleaned…"

"'Dust?' Sounds like jargon for some sort of drug." The more burly guard leaned over the table, staring her down. "You a drug dealer, missy?!"

"Dude, she's not just gonna admit that," the smaller guard whispered.

"No, no, just ammunition for my sniper-scythe," Ruby piped. 'Really should have declared it or something…'

"Sniper… scythe? Is that what this wacky thing is?" The guard pulled out Crescent Rose, folded up at the moment.

"Yeah, sure." She reached for the weapon. "If I could just show you how it…"

The burly guard slapped her hand away. "Oh, no you don't. We're confiscating this weapon. And you won't be leaving on a plane, missy. You'll be leaving in the back of a cop car." He turned to his co-worker. "Call the police. This woman needs to be arrested."

Ruby looked to be going into shock. "Wh-What?! I-I… I… This isn't happening…"

"W-WAIT!" Alfred yelled. Everyone turned to him. "Before you consider doing so, I'd like to speak with you in private."

The large guard's eyes narrowed. "…Fine. Make sure she stays here while I talk with this man," the guard ordered the other, and left the room with Alfred. The smaller guard looked at the remaining two awkwardly.

Ruby waved. "Hi."

The guard's eyes shifted, then timidly waved back. "Uh… hi. You're, uh… you're pretty cheery for a girl carrying so much dangerous equipment…"

"Correction," Arthur spoke, holding his finger aloft. "She's pretty cheery for someone who's been taken from home. Not by my associate and I, we're just looking after her, and we're trying to find a way to get her home."

"So… was she kidnapped or something?"

Arthur shook his head. "No, no. It's… well, it's a rather long story. Let's just say she got misplaced."

The guard eyed them both warily. "You… _want_ to leave this airport on good terms with the law, right?"

"Relatively, yes."

Alfred and the other guard walked back in.

"Alright, missy. Listen up. You're not going to be arrested. We got it all sorted out."

Ruby sighed in relief. "Thanks, Alfred."

He nodded, smiling. "You're welcome, kiddo. Had to pull a few strings, but you can bring along your stuff."

The guard still looked stern. "You got lucky this time. Don't expect to smuggle rocket launchers on a plane next time and get away with it."

"I don't… I don't have a rocket launcher…" she muttered under her breath.

"Oooof course you don't." The guard rolled his eyes.

"Really, I don't," she said, standing up.

"No, I believe you. It's just…" He shook his head. "You been in this job long as I have, you tend to see _everything_ …"

The smaller guard looked at his partner with concern, then looked back to the three. "Okay, all checked," He wrote down a few things and put a tag on her bag. "You're free to go."

Ruby took her bag, quickly shaking his hand. "Thank you, sir! Thank you so much."

The guard looked a little shocked. "Y… You're welcome. Now, don't go yelling that you have a gun around the airport, ok? Last thing we want is a panic."

"I _really_ wasn't planning on it. Not after this little debacle." She sheepishly smiled, going for the door as Alfred and Arthur quickly followed.

"H… Have a nice day." The smaller guard added.

She turned and gave a quick wave. "You too!"

The tall guard waved back as Alfred closed the door. "Ok, of all the things I've seen while working here, that… that was a first."

The small guard was only smiling distractedly. "Yeah…"

/

Outside the office, Alfred sighed with relief. "Okay, that was close. _Too_ close. That could've screwed us all."

Ruby awkwardly shoved a piece of Crescent Rose into her bag that was sticking out. "How… What did you…"

He smirked. "Like I told you, I pulled a few strings. You _do_ remember who I am, right?"

She laughed. "I didn't know you could just…" She snapped. "Just snap your fingers and…"

"Weeell, It doesn't work exactly like that. It can help you bend the rules a bit, but, well, It can't let you rob a bank and get away with it."

Ruby looked at the last paragraph, confused. "Wait, why… Why is 'It' capitalized?"

"Because 'It' is a proper noun," Alfred said proudly. "You see, It… It is an important thing."

She just stared, blinking once or twice. "Aaaand… How is It so important?

"It got you out of up to $2,000 in fines, or worse, a few years in jail."

"Okay, but… what is It?"

Alfred now looked unamused. "I… I thought I told you." He leaned over and whispered in her ear. "You know, being the country we're standing in? It has a few perks."

"O-Oh…" she stammered. "I'll… I'll stop asking… Needs to be kept under the hat…"

Alfred nodded. "Yup. Don't want others knowing about this."

Arthur looked at the departure schedules. "We should hurry, if we're planning on actually catching this flight. We have 15 minutes."

Ruby's eyes went wide. "Oh! Better get going!" In a flash of petals, she was off.

"Gah! Wait up!" Alfred dashed after her.

"Alfred! Wh- ugh…" Arthur followed.


	25. Secondhand Info

"Urgh…" Yang groaned, her mind feeling like a cloud of thick fog. "Wh… Weh… Where…"

"Y… Yang…" A quiet voice called from behind her.

Her eyes shot open. "Kiku?" She jerked her head up, slamming into something. "Agh! Jeez, who put _that_ there…"

"A… Are you alright?" Kiku mumbled. "Are you hurt?"

"Aside from my head…" She attempted to rub it, but was stopped when she realized her hands were bound. "What the hell?!"

"We're tied together. Around what I can assume is a pole."

"Well… Wouldn't be the first time… But, wait… Weren't we…"

"We were kidnapped. They knocked us out with blow darts. You were hit first."

"So… we were kidnapped," Yang sighed. "Was it the White Fang? Is Torchwick involved?"

"N-No… I don't think so. I'm unfamiliar with those names, but do the names Glaze or Iris ring a bell?"

"Not at all…"

"They wore robes. Called themselves the Cult of the Claweye."

Yang snickered, trying to lighten the mood. "Well, what could a bunch of creepy dudes in robes want with a young blonde and a pretty boy?" she smirked.

"Well, first it seems that the woman named Iris doesn't share your opinions, and second, they sort of want to sacrifice us."

"They _what now_?"

"They're planning to 'appease the Hydra with the blood of the Displaced so it will spare this world' or something."

"That's… That's not a prophecy, that's an angsty tween's notebook scribblings."

"Exactly what I thought. But they apparently are loyal to this 'prophecy' thing, and are doing what it wrote." He rolled his eyes. "Typical."

"But, wait. You _can't_ be killed. Like, _literally_ can't be killed…"

"Well, it seems like that doesn't matter to them. As long as I'm hydra food, they're all for it. Well, maybe ' _we're_ ' hydra food."

Yang's eyes were shifting to red. "If these idiots even _think_ about cramming me down some dragon's-"

"Hydra. Multiple heads."

"…down some _hydra's_ throat, I will pulverize them."

"And I am all for that. But right now, we seem to be stuck. And sadly, these ropes are apparently fireproof. Do you have your gauntlets?"

"My bracelets… no. They're gone."

"Darn. They must've taken them."

Yang started struggling against the ropes, attempting to loosen them.

"Uh, Yang…?"

"Yeah-huh?"

"Please tell me you have something in your cleavage…"

She looked back at him, absolutely puzzled. " _What?!_ "

"Nothing-! I didn't… I didn't mean it in that way. It's just that, well, doing so would be smart, as only a pervert would check there."

She gave him a sly smile. "Would _you_ check there?"

"N-Not without your permission, I wouldn't. I-If you wan… you know what, I'll stop talking now."

"Good, let me focus on busting us out…" She returned to her ropes.

"T… Thank you." He hit his head on the pole in regret.

Fifteen minutes passed, and she could feel the knots loosening. "Come on… Come onnn…"

"Are you almost done? Not that I'm rushing you, but this 'hydra' could actually show up at any moment, if what they're saying is true."

"Look, I'm almost…" She winced in pain. "Agh, rope burn…"

"Oh, are you okay?" He shuffled to try and look back.

"I'm good, but… _God_ , these are _good_ knots!"

"It's also a bit hard with these cuffs on my hands…"

She looked at him in disbelief. "Wait, you got _cuffs_?! Why am I stuck with this stupid hemp rope? Agh…"

"Are you sure you don't have something that can make this easier? Knife? Wire?"

"Maybe… Hang on, let me…"

* * *

Kiku heard Yang going silent for a moment, mumbling a bit.

"Y… Yang?" He looked over with concern.

' _You_ …'

"Who's saying that?" He called out loud. " _Who is talking to me?!_ "

' _I have waited for you_ …'

'Who… who are you. Why are you in my head?'

' _BEHOLD._ '

* * *

"Mmm… Got it!" Yang muffled through her teeth. She pulled her head from her chest, a sheathed knife clenched in her teeth. She let go carefully, letting it fall into her hand, where she slipped it out and began cutting at her ropes. "Guess you have a point, Kiku!" she laughed. "…Kiku?"

There was no response. She looked back to him, and saw him slouched back on the pole, his eyes glazed over and wide open.

"Oh boy."

Her ropes were severed, and she quickly stood up and scanned the room. Finding her bracelets in the corner, she slipped them on, and picked up Kiku's pipe, slinging it to her belt. "Who leaves their captive's weapons around like this? Honestly."

She went over to Kiku, smashing his cuffs with the gauntlet. "Come on, Kiku, we're outta here."

Kiku did not seem to respond, only slid down to the floor with the cuffs no longer restraining him. He still had the same expression, and was very quietly moaning.

Yang sighed, picking him up and slinging him over her shoulder. "Come on, bud. We're getting out. Right now." She ran for the entrance to the room.


	26. One Way Out

Yang ran down the stone hallway, Kiku slung over her shoulder, unconscious. People talking could be heard echoing throughout the hallway. What it was about wasn't known. She could hear footsteps, and ducked into a nearby alcove.

A hooded figure with large antlers walked by, grabbing one of the lamps from off the wall, and walked back to where they came from. "Okay, I got it, guys!"

"Oh, for the love of the Hydra, Aster!"

"I'm sorry, here's a replacement for now, we'll fix the other later."

"How are we supposed to _see_ the cards with no light?"

"We've got plenty to go around, guys. It's okay."

Yang crept out of the alcove, continuing down the hallway.

"Come on, come on…" she panted. "Where's the exit?!"

The hallway ended, opening to a larger room with a group sitting in a circle, playing some sort of card game.

The foggy-eyed man laid down his cards. "Nice try, but that's not gonna beat this hand! Read 'em and…" He looked up and noticed Yang. "Oh, crap! How'd you-" He was thrown against the wall by a Dust round shot from her gauntlet as she ran for the archway at the far end.

One of them pointed at her. " _Don't let them get away_!" The crowd seemed like they weren't listening for a second, but finally one with a ponytail charged at her carrying a simple wooden staff, as if it'd help.

She rolled her eyes, knocking her away with a simple backhand. "I really don't have time for this…" she muttered, and ran off.

The foggy-eyed man quickly blocked the exit path, and a black-haired man, not knowing what to do, resorted to grabbing her leg and hanging on like a little kid. Yang shook him off, and swung at the man in her way. Before she could hit him, a whip snagged her by the wrist and flung her away from the exit, knocking away Kiku as well.

The whip's holder quickly wrapped the whip around its handle, making it into a slingshot, and flung a small spiked ball he grabbed from a bag hanging from his shoulder. She jumped out of the way, charging at him and punching his face, making him fall down with his nose bleeding profusely.

Just then, she heard quick footsteps and yelling from behind her. She whipped around, seeing a Faunus with large antlers charging at her, armed with a baton, which he quickly swung at her. She jabbed at him, but he ducked, and her fist went right over his head… clipping both his antlers short. He felt around them, realizing what happened, then looked at his antlers, now on the floor, in horror.

"Nooo!" he screamed, scrambling to pick them up. "My antlers!"

"Oh, jeez, I'm sorry," Yang cooed, backhanding a robed man running up on her.

"Eeh… you beat me," he replied, curling up on the ground. "You got me good."

"You okay, buddy?" she asked, genuine concern in her voice.

"N-Nah, I'm good…" He was now cradling what was once his antlers. "Still have a bit left…"

"Do… do they grow back?"

"I… I don't know," he whimpered.

"Oh, lighten up, _tu pleures bébé_!" yelled Noire, throwing off his hood. "If you cannot finish off this _jézabel_ , I shall do it myself!" He breathed into his flute, creating a shrill tone and sending out a dart.

Covering her ears, Yang deftly dodged it, drowned it out with a yell of her own, and advanced. With one left hook, she smashed his fragile instrument to bits, and followed up with a cut that sent him to the ground.

"Oh… what a woman…" he muttered.

She grabbed him by his collar, bringing him up to eye level. "I'm 17, _creep_ ," she growled, and smashed her brow into his, sending him to the ground again, unconscious.

Right after that, someone immediately jumped onto her back, trying to throw her onto the floor. She threw them off, regaining her posture. The one she threw off, a dog-eared Faunus, apparently wasn't done, and did the same thing again, trying to hang on tightly.

She shook loose her arm, striking their shoulder. They slid down a bit, and easily was shaken off. It seemed that it was at the point where they were getting very desperate, to the point where one threw another at her as a quilled projectile. Yang dodged, firing a Dust round at the Faunus. They dodged, running back at her, unarmed.

She ducked under them, sending a strike up at their torso. They flew straight to the wall. The one who threw them just gave up after a second of awkward silence.

"Two left, blondie. Aren't you so close."

"Yeah, I am," she smirked, picking Kiku back up. "And neither of them is gonna stop me."

"I would wait before you pick your friend back up, as unfitting as he _is_." Iris took a fighting stance. "Because you're just gonna end up dropping him again."

Yang gently put him off to the side. "Fine then." She reequipped Ember Celica. "I take it you're the one I kept hearing in my dreams. The one who I think maybe wanted a piece of me?" She raised a sly eyebrow.

Iris snickered. "Perhaps. I just think you deserve better than him, the feeble little mouse."

"So what you're saying is I deserve _you_."

"Maybe I am."

Yang took a battle stance. "Look, no offense, but you're _really_ not my type. I never had much romantic luck with crazy end-of-days cultists."

"Eh, not much is taken. But you're still not leaving." Iris took off her cloak, and threw it to the ground, revealing two large bat wings, now outstretched.

Yang's eyes narrowed. "Prove it. But lay off the hair."

"Fine, then." She jumped, and kicked off the wall, gliding for an attack from above. "I'll leave some intact, don't you worry."

"Some what now?"

"You told me lay off, not avoid it entirely," she sneered.

"You touch ONE HAIR ON THIS THING, I _swear to God_!" she yelled, jumping up to her level with the aid of recoil.

Iris pulled out a few knives from her pocket and slashed at her chest. "You'll what, cave my face in?"

"Maybe," she shouted, landing on her back and striking the back of her head. "I might start by clipping these wings of yours!"

Iris growled, and flipped upside down, swiping at her. Yang grabbed her wings, dragging the two down to the ground. With little control over her wings now, she hit it hard, head first.

Yang struck her in the face as she descended. "That one's for trying to kill my world for your stupid dragon god!"

"K… Kill?" Iris laughed through rasps. "If everything goes as planned, we'll be the _saviors_ of this world. Our leader Glaze foretold it! In doing this, you are not saving this world, but _dooming_ it…" She passed out.

Yang sighed. "Sweet baby Monty, you people are _crazy_ …"

"Do you really want to do this?" yelled Glaze. "You are making a mistake that will cost everything!"

" _You're_ making a mistake! Do you genuinely have no idea what's going to happen if the Rift doesn't close in time? Reality will collapse for not one, but _two_ different worlds, including ours! Is that what you _want_?!"

"The Rift is controlled by the Hydra and the Wolf. Our sacrifice will appease the Hydra and Remnant will be spared."

Yang pointed back at Kiku. "If he's kept here, Remnant will be _doomed_ , you idiot!"

His eyes narrowed in anger. " _I am not so easily fooled by your lies!_ The writer of the prophecy that this society has lived on for so long told us that this is how the world can be saved! _The only way_!"

" _The writer of the prophecy lied_!"

"No! He would never lie, YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW WHO HE WAS! He never said his true name, called himself the 'claw eye.' He was a man of mystery who the Grimm would not dare approach. This society is of the followers of his teachings. He often had visions of the future, which he wrote down in a book, which would become the prophecy. And they eventually had come to be fulfilled. What happened to him, I do not know. The stories vary."

Yang blinked. "A book… became a cult?"

"We had to make sure that his prophecies wouldn't be lost. So we always had an eye on the future."

"If you keep my friend here, you won't _have_ a future! No one will!"

"…Well. I see we're at a standstill. Neither of us are willing to budge."

Yang cocked her gauntlets. "And only one of us will."

He reached into his cloak. "So you want to fight, do you?"

"I don't see any other option. Do you?"

Glaze's eyes narrowed. "No." He quickly whipped out a hunga munga-flintlock pistol, held it back, and threw it at her. She narrowly stepped out of its reach, and fired a Dust round at him.

The weapon quickly reeled back to its holder, who blocked with it, then fired in return. Yang dodged, countering with a running jab. He sidestepped and sliced downward, barely missing her. She threw a right hook to his face, smacking him a few feet away. Quickly recovering, Glaze threw his weapon again.

Yang deflected his weapon with her gauntlet, following up with an uppercut that sent him flying. He hit the ceiling head-first, and with a cry of pain, landed flat on the floor, down for the count.

She sighed in relief, then went back to pick up Kiku again. Before she left, however, she looked back to the young cultist with the antlers.

"L… Look, don't worry about me, miss. I'm pretty sure they'll grow back eventually." He sighed. "You should go, before Glaze wakes up."

"…What's your name, bud?"

"Aster."

"Aster… you're too good for this place. For these people."

"Well… they were the only people who welcomed me."

"They don't seem very welcoming to me. Not after one of them called you a crybaby…" She picked up a piece of his broken antler. "For something that means so much to you."

"Eh, at least I can't be called 'coat rack' anymore."

"Aster… What these people have done… It's…"

"I know, I shouldn't be here. I should just go talk to Laurel and leave."

"They're mostly all unconscious. You may not get another chance."

"Right, right." He walked over to the dog-eared Faunus, trying to lift her on his shoulders. "I should go while I still can."

Yang smiled. " _I_ am." With that, she took off toward the mouth of the cave.

* * *

After a small period of running, Yang finally broke out into sunlight. She set Kiku down on the grassy ground, and took a look around. She seemed to be relatively close to the town, which was good. Not a lot of time left to waste, presumably.

"…ngh… Y… Yang?" Kiku mumbled.

Yang quickly went to him, brushing the hair out of his face. "You okay, Kiku?"

He slowly sat up. "I think I am. Where are we?"

"We're out of that cave. They're not coming after us anymore…"

"You broke us out? Nothing is going to come and eat us?"

She laughed. "No, Kiku. Nothing is going to eat us. I think."

He laughed in turn. "Okay. Good. Then that won't be happening again."

"As if I'd let you get captured again."

"No, I mean…" He stopped mid-sentence. "Never mind, that doesn't matter. What matters is that we're okay. I was afraid we'd… _you'd_ never make it out…"

"I had no idea you were that worried about me…"

"Well, I can take as many punches as one could throw. So, to me, you're a greater priority, when it comes to safety. And besides, you're keeping me safe. I cannot help but feel… obligated… to you."

Yang smiled. "Thank you. That… means quite a lot coming from you."

"What else could I say? You _did_ get us out of there, and with little scratches."

"Well, there _were_ scratches. Just not enough to stop me from getting you out of there."

He gave a sad smile. "I wish I was awake at the time, so you weren't fighting alone."

"Oh, don't be like that. I had it all locked up."

He looked to her with a gleam in his eye. "Then at least I wish I could've seen you."

"Yeah, I bet it looked really cool."

"Sorry, again, for passing out then. It sort of came out of nowhere."

"Hey, it's fine. You were under a lot of stress. You blacked out. People do that. Even _with_ Aura."

"Y… Yeah. Blacked out. Perhaps that was just my thoughts."

Yang realized she hadn't taken her eyes off him for a few minutes. "…We, uh… We should get moving. I think we're close to that town."

"Good, good." He got up. "Then we haven't got a minute to waste. Do we have everything?"

She handed him the pipe, as well as the supplies she totally had on her the whole time shut up. "Pretty much."

"Thank you. Let's be off."

They began to walk back to the bridge, both unaware that the other was stealing a few glances.

 **Collaborator's Note: Sorry about that cameo, but this was actually made at the** _ **beginning**_ **of the year. I hadn't intended him to get any other parts.**


	27. An Ally Has Joined Your Party

The Next Day

* * *

Yang was walking through the forest path with Kiku, telling him a story.

"…And by the time I was finished, Dad had already left!"

Kiku laughed. "Sounds like quite a day."

She sighed. "Lesson learned, I guess. Always make sure you're alone _before_ you start-" She stopped abruptly, putting her arm over Kiku's chest to halt him.

"Wha-? What is it?"

Yang shushed him, and looked around, suspicious. "We're not alone," she whispered. "Someone's following us."

"…I see." His face became stern, and he reached for his pipe.

Yang shifted her bracelets into their gauntlet form. "I know you're out there!" she shouted. "Whoever you are, and whatever you want with us, we do _not_ have time for it! You hear me?!" She turned to Kiku, not dropping her guard. "Back me up here."

"It better not be you Claweyes! I'm not going to be taken so easily!"

After a period of silence, Yang sighed. "Look, don't let the weapons fool you. I'm not violent if I can't help it. So unless you're a Grimm, why don't you just show yourself and surrender?"

At that moment, a figure dropped from the branches above them, landing with little sound.

"I'm not one to surrender," it said, with a distinctly female voice. The figure stood up, and Kiku saw it was a young woman with black hair, and a bow. "You should know that, Yang."

On seeing who this was, Yang's face shifted from cautious anger to shocked recognition, and she immediately put away her weapon. "…Blake? Is that you?!"

The young woman's face turned to one of kindness. "Hello again."

Yang rushed to Blake, swiftly hugging her. "Where have you _been_? No one's heard from you for ages!"

Blake sighed as Yang took a step back. "It's a long story."

Kiku just stared, perplexed. "You… You know her?"

Yang turned back to him. "Sure I do! Kiku, this is Blake Belladonna. My partner from Beacon."

"Hello," she said, slightly nodding her head.

"Blake, this is Kiku Honda. He's a… friend. From another dimension."

She blinked. "So I see."

Kiku bowed. "Nice to meet you. So you're the Fa-… she mentioned you awhile ago."

Blake snickered, her bow slightly flexing. "You're good."

He noticed this. "That's rather clever."

Yang smirked. "Yep. Stylish _and_ covert. It's pretty much her thing."

"Why do you wear it?"

Blake sighed. "If Yang told you about Faunus, she couldn't have not mentioned how distrusted we are. This bow covers up my ears in public."

"Ah. Wait, so your bow is hiding ears?"

She undid the bow, tucking away the ribbon that remained of it. In its place were two cat ears, with black fur.

Kiku could barely keep his calm composure. 'C… Cute…' He blinked a few times. "Wow. Those are indeed cat ears."

Blake gave a small smile. "I have to admit, your reaction is welcome. Most people are shocked."

"I would understand that to an extent. It's a rather familiar sight for me, however. Reminds me of something back home."

Yang crossed her arms, leaning against a nearby tree. "So, what are you doing all the way out here, Blake? More importantly, where have you been?"

Blake's expression turned somber. "They found me, Yang. The White Fang. I've been on the run for a few months. Laying low."

Kiku looked intrigued. "Yang, you mentioned this… 'White Fang' before. What is it?"

"She's talking about a terrorist Faunus organization. Dedicated to killing every last human in Remnant."

Blake sighed. "It's a little more complicated than that, but yes. I… I used to be with them. _Used to_. But they don't take kindly to defectors."

"A terrorist group?" Kiku's face soured. "Seems like not everything is sound in society. However, it's something that is a problem in my home, too."

Blake looked interested. "Where _is_ your home, anyway?"

Yang started walking. "He can explain that on the way."

Kiku nodded. "Yes, it's best we move along, we're on a limited window here."

"You… You wouldn't mind if I joined you guys for a bit, would you?" Blake asked.

Kiku shook his head. "Not at all. I am perfectly fine with that."

Yang shrugged. "Long as we ration supplies, I'm down."

Blake went up to them. "Perfect. I've been traveling alone for too long…"

He smiled. "Well, you won't any longer."

Blake smiled as well. "So… where did you say you were from?"


	28. To Russia With Love

A small car drove down a dirt path within a snow-covered landscape. After an hour or so of driving, it seemed that the three had almost reached their destination.

"Damn, this weather," Arthur groaned. "Is it always like this, or are we just very unlucky?"

"Maybe. Some say a snowstorm always surrounds his house."

"Who _is_ this guy?" Ruby asked, adjusting her scarf.

"Just an old ally/enemy of mine. A rival, maybe."

"And… is he the one who can help me get home?"

"Well, I hope. He's not really one to agree with me. But I'm hoping that if he won't lend his help for _me_ , he'll do it for _you_."

Ruby's eyes cast downward. "Yeah… so do I."

"We're here." Arthur pointed to a large mansion in the distance.

Alfred took a deep breath, then picked up a leather bag off the car floor. "Let's just hope things go as planned, and don't turn violent."

Ruby got out of the car, looking up at the mansion. "I may need a refresher. Who is this guy again?"

"His name is Ivan Braginsky," Arthur spoke in a grim tone. "He's another nation, the one we're in right now. The Russian Federation."

"So he's like you guys?"

"Yep," Alfred responded. "He's also sort of… unpredictable, since he's so isolated, and given his history."

"So he lives alone in that big mansion? Sounds… lonely."

"Yeah, he used to live with his sisters and three others, but they all left him."

Ruby fell silent at this.

"Alright…" Alfred pulled a small holstered pistol from the bag, and put the holster on his belt. "Let's do this." He walked up to the door, Ruby following close behind.

"Agreed." Arthur replied, stern. Hesitantly, Alfred knocked on the door. A few seconds passed with no response.

The door creaked open, and there, a large, tall man stood, with platinum hair, strangely purple eyes, and a rather big nose. He smiled mockingly, and Ruby found herself shuddering.

"Well, if it is not _Amerika_. Come to gloat, or are you here to submit to my demands?" He chuckled.

"Cut the _piroshki, Russland_. Our bosses, whether we like them or not, both seem to be avoiding conflict. I'm not here for either."

"Then what _are_ you here for? Visiting? That is very unusual."

"We, uh…" Alfred groaned. "We need your help. Can… can we come in?"

Ruby was still looking at this strange man, not quite scared enough to look away just yet.

The man stared for a moment, but then his face brightened up with a warm smile. "Da! Come in, come in." He moved out of the way.

"Thank you." Alfred walked in, looking back at the two. The man smiled at the two, then noticed Ruby, closely observing her.

Ruby was less frightened than she just had been, but this man still put her at a slight unease. Arthur stayed next to her as they both entered the mansion.

"Come! Take a seat, friends." The man gestured to the living room. "Would you like something to drink? Any food?"

"None for me, thank you. I'm not in the mood." Alfred sat down in a chair.

"I-I'm fine," Ruby slightly stammered, sitting in another chair, closer to the fireplace.

"No thank you," Arthur politely dismissed, taking a chair closer to Ruby. "I'm not hungry right now."

"Okay, then." The man sat on the couch. "As your companions no doubt told you, _molodaya ledi_ , my name is Ivan Braginsky. And this… is my home."

Ruby took a quick look around. "It's nice."

Ivan turned to Alfred. "Well, what _does_ bring you here? I assume this young lady has something to do with it."

Alfred sighed. "You probably won't believe me at first, but she's from another dimension, and needs help getting home."

"Mm. And what could I do that could help?"

"Well, we need some assistance from your space program. I have a feeling your equipment may have a chance at finding what we need."

"And you want to borrow my equipment."

"Yes."

"Well, I could help this little lady…" Ivan leaned forward a bit. "Under a few conditions, of course."

Ruby blinked a few times. "Wh… What conditions?"

"Well, I may need your help with something."

Before anyone else could speak, Alfred spoke up. "Hold it there, Rus. For conditions, you're gonna have to speak with _me_."

Ivan turned to him. "Very well. Let us discuss it in the dining room." The two got up, and walked into the next room.

Arthur looked to Ruby. "How are you holding up?"

Ruby looked a bit tense. "Mr. Kirkland… Are you sure this guy is…"

"What?"

She shivered. "I… I don't know if I trust him."

"I understand. He's a rather shady man. But I assure you, he won't hurt you. Especially not while Alfred's around."

Ruby sighed. "Okay. I just… I don't know, it's something about him…"

"Gives off a rather chilly, dark aura, doesn't he? It seems to always be there with him. Even when he's not trying."

"Yeah. But… I still feel pretty safe." She gave Arthur a sideways look. "For one reason or another."

"Well, he won't admit it, but Alfred _is_ stronger than him. He's one of the two that has a bit of control over him."

Ruby looked over at him. "Do… Do you really think he can help us?"

Arthur nodded. "There's a chance he can. Don't worry yourself, it'll be alright."

Just after he finished that statement a loud slam was heard from the next room. Arthur sighed. "Yes, it'll be just fine."

A few voices were heard proceeding the slam, some not familiar.

"I knew he didn't live alone here," mused Ruby.

"…The Baltics." Arthur's eyes narrowed. "I guess he rounded them back up. Forcefully, I assume."

"Who… Who are they?"

"Three young, and rather quiet nations. Toris, Raivis, and Eduard. They act rather timid around Ivan. Especially Raivis. And I think… how old did you say you were, again?"

"I'm 15."

"Ah! So, Raivis is physically about your age."

"Wow. That must be a young country."

" _Physically._ Remember, nations are much older than they appear."

Right after that, Alfred and Ivan stormed back into the room, eyeing each other down.

"So, it seems we're at a stalemate… _comrade_." The last part Ivan said through gritted teeth.

"Indeed we are…" Alfred growled.

"M-Mr. Russia? What should we do with the broken vase?" The tallest of the three other figures stuttered.

"Just clean it up, Toris. It's not important right now."

He nodded and went to clean it up.

"Anyways, she can't just _give_ something like that up on a whim! It's close to her! Sentimental value." Alfred argued.

"She can always get another."

"It's one-of-a-kind, Rus. She can't."

Ruby suddenly stood up, frustrated. "Okay, what is going on here? I feel like I have a right to know, because I _know_ you're talking about me."

Ivan looked to her with a smile. "Oh, we're just trying to get past this block. For my help, I want this special weapon of yours. It sounds like a weapon that would make a great addition to my arsenal."

Ruby took a step back, a hand on Crescent Rose. "I… I'm not sure I can allow that," she stammered, attempting to stay confident. "Crescent Rose is… quite close to my heart. I do not want us to part."

"Well then, I guess you will have to find it on your own." Ivan stared at her, looking upset.

"IVAN!" Alfred shouted. "I came here to reach an agreement. I did _not_ get a freaking high-caliber sniper-scythe through airport security just to reach a dead end! You _will_ adjust your terms, or so _help me Jefferson_ , I will… I'll… I'll do something _very drastic_!"

"Aw, so… we must use this 'compromise' some speak of. Very well. I can make an adjustment." He thought for a moment. "How about this. Do you mind if I see your weapon in action? Perhaps in a match?"

Ruby seemed a little at ease. "A… a match? You mean like sparring?"

The Baltics' eyes widened at this statement.

" _Da_! A competitive fight. I would like to see how your weapon fares against Mr. Pipe." He opened one side of his coat to reveal a lead pipe stowed inside it.

"Oh, okay. But… I don't think I want to wreck your home. Not when I'm trying to be a good guest."

"Of course, of course." He gestured outside the window to the snow-covered field surrounding the mansion. "I always have a good place for that."

She looked out at the field and smiled. "Excellent. Snow and I have a… good history."

Ivan put his hands together. "Good! Let us get to work."

"We're coming, too," Alfred spoke.

"So are we," Toris added.

Ivan sighed, still smiling. "Fine, you can watch."

* * *

"Alright, little Ruby. Let us see what you can do." Ivan smirked, then pulled out the pipe from his coat. "Let us fight, da?"

"She's going to fight Mr. Russia?!" Raivis gasped.

Ruby unfolded her scythe. "Never. Call me. Little."

"Everyone is little to me." He pointed it out. "Let us see if you are more than that." He charged, pipe raised, and swung at her.

In a flurry of petals, she was gone.

"Huh?" He stopped, confused.

Ruby reappeared a little distance away, and fired a round of Dust from her scythe. It hit Ivan in the back, but it leaves little effect.

"It's a rifle, too?"

She smirked. "Where I come from, _everything_ is also a gun." She sped to him at almost the speed of sound, and slashed.

Ivan parried with the pipe and swiped back. "Interesting…"

Ruby dodged with her semblance, and attempted to use the spike on the butt of the scythe. He sidestepped and grabbed it.

"Ha!"

She pulled the trigger, and the recoil forced it out of his hands, allowing her to strike again. He blocked with his pipe, but it slipped and the pipe flew out of his hands and onto the snow. He lost his balance, falling down.

She folded her weapon into rifle mode and pointed the barrel right at his neck. "Call it a draw?" she asked, sweetly.

Ivan stared at the weapon, then at her in a daze, and then laughed heartily. "Da, da. You have impressed me. That was fun! If only I had fighters like you during the Second World War…"

She folded up Crescent Rose. "I'm glad you liked it."

He got up off the ground, brushing himself off. "That is a very interesting weapon of yours. Very creative as well."

She folded it out again. "Technically, it's what's known as a High-Caliber Sniper-Scythe. But it's basically a scythe/sniper rifle. With a little spike on the end." She pointed out the spike. "See?"

"Wow. I wish I had something like this. So well-crafted." He closely observed its shape. "I will get to work on making my own."

Ruby snickered. "You may have a bit of trouble getting it to work with your technology."

Ivan's head tilted. "What makes you say that?"

"Look at this thing." She folded it to various configurations. "You really think you can get _all_ of this to work?"

Ivan nodded. "Da. With some materials, time, and hard work, I can make it."

Ruby folded up the scythe and put it away. "Almost a shame I won't be around to see you pull it off…"

"Almost? Well, do not worry. When we conquer this inter-dimensional travel stuff, you can see me again as I become your overlord." He smiled innocently. "…I'm just joking, don't be so scared, _priyatnaya veshch'_."

"Good to know… I'mmajustbeoverhere." In a flurry of petals, she was clinging to Alfred.

He hugged her back. "Don't worry, my precious cinnamon bun! I will protect you!"

Arthur sighed. "I suppose that takes care of things for now, Braginsky?"

Ivan smiled warmly. "Da. I will fix you up with some of my equipment, perhaps give you temporary access. I have personal access, so you can just use it, and my boss won't even know it's you. Just make sure you don't use it on public internet. Then I'll have some explaining to do."

Alfred looked to Ivan, rather grateful. "Thank you, Russia. This really means a lot."

"Well, this young lady needed help getting home, and help is what I want to give." He leaned over, ruffling Ruby's hair. "Thank you for the visit! I don't often get guests."

Ruby smiled. "You should."

"C… Can I… uh…" He held his arms out in earnest.

She shrugged, going in for a hug.

Almost overjoyed, he wrapped his arms around her, trying to make sure it wasn't too tight. "Good luck getting home. I wish you a safe journey."

Ruby's thoughts went all over the place at this situation. "Thank you, Ivan."


	29. A Story to Share

Night had fallen in the forests of Sanus. Kiku had quickly made a campground for the team, and so they settled for the night. He and Blake were by the fireside.

"…And, well, that's when you showed up, and joined the party."

Blake gave a confused laugh. "Well, that's… a lot to absorb. First off, I'd like to express how sad I am that had to be your first impression of Faunus."

"It wasn't my exact impression on Faunus themselves. It was more of my impression of the group, being a mix of humans and Faunus. It's just them I had an impression of. Never got to talk to one personally then. At least… I think."

"Well, then. So… another _dimension_? How exactly is that supposed to work?"

Kiku chuckled, and shrugged. "Honestly? I'm still trying to fully understand it. I guess we're just different planes side-by-side that never touch until now."

"I only wonder what kind of imbalance that has to-"

"Ah, yes. Almost forgot. Someone else left this world and entered mine. Yang's sister."

Blake's expression shifted at his saying this, to one of disbelieving concern. "You… You mean Ruby?"

He nodded. "Hai. Ruby. Yang was devastated to hear the news, and, well, being another of her teammates, I'd assume… that…" He trailed off upon a quick glance at her face.

"Oh… Oh God…" she muttered, her eyes wide.

"I… I'm sorry I had to tell you that."

Her head sharply turned to him. Her concern was still there, but there was a fire in her eyes to rival Yang's. "She's _safe_ , right? Who am I kidding, she can handle herself, but nothing's going to _kill_ her, right?!"

His mind drifted to less desirable thoughts for a moment, but he quickly shook them away. "Yes. Given what I have been told about her, she seems very capable of defending herself if some thug wants to-"

Blake stood up sharply. "I'm _aware_ of that, Kiku! She's strong. She's capable. Everyone knows this. But can you _try_ to _promise me_ she can get back here?!"

Shocked by her reaction, he nodded very quickly. "Y-Yes, yes! If I can, she can. There should be someone who can help her, and she can find her way back home."

Blake took a moment, breathing slowly, calming herself down. "Alright. Okay." She sat back down. "So… You and Yang seem to…"

"Get along?" Kiku guessed. "Yes, I've noticed that. I've really enjoyed her company."

She smiled. "Yeah, she's… really easy to be friends with. Luckily for me, I mean, I'm her partner…"

"Yes, that's important," he commented. "I'm glad she could accompany me on this journey. Without her, I wouldn't had escaped the clutches of those fiends. She did so much for me, but that part stuck out."

"She tends to do that. Saving people. Part of who she is. Protective."

"Yes, but… I feel it was a bit… more than that."

She looked to him, curiously. "What are you talking about?"

He turned his head away, moderately blushing and smiling slyly. "What do you think?"

Blake smirked. "Yeah, she tends to have that effect on people."

"But do you think this is any different?"

"…Do you?"

He thought for a moment. "…I think so."

Like a proverbial ghost, Yang appeared in the firelight. "What are you guys talking about?" she asked.

Kiku turned swiftly, and his blush intensified. "A-Ah, just your little feat you pulled off a while ago."

Blake nodded. "It was quite impressive. How you handled yourself."

Yang snickered. "If only you were around, Blake. Oh, what I would not give to show them a taste of the Bumblebee…"

Kiku tilted his head. "You mean your motorcycle?"

Yang laughed again, a bit louder. "No, no, I mean Blake's and my team attack."

Kiku looked at them both, switching back and forth. "Ohhhh. I get it."

Yang smirked, before turning to Blake. "Hey, uh… Blake, could I talk to you for a second? Alone?"

She stood up. "Absolutely." The two walked off a short distance.

Kiku watched them walk off, and then turned his gaze to the fire.

'…I seem to be at a stalemate,' he thought. 'I wasn't expecting this.'

'Why?' asked his emotion. 'Do I not think I am good enough for her? I must think better of myself.'

'It's because of attachments, obviously,' his reason interjected. 'Attachments are rather risky. Especially with people more… mortal.'

Kiku arrived at the question that had been burning in his mind for a short while. 'Should I let myself love her?'

'I should,' said his emotion. 'It's been awhile since I've felt such feelings. I should embrace it.'

'And why do I think it's _been_ such a while?' shouted his reason. 'Even _if_ there's some way to see her again once I've left, she's mortal still. She'll die. I'll live. And besides that… there's no guarantee she feels the same way.'

'But that is a better reason to enjoy this emotion while it lasts,' his emotion said. 'It's uncommon, and must be treasured. Live for the moment, as they say.'

'But if I'm wrong…' spoke his reason. 'I'd foul with her life in more ways than I can think of.'

Kiku sighed. "And yet…"


End file.
